From a shuttered South Carolina hospital settling a class-action lawsuit over improper layoff notifications to a pharmacist getting nine years in prison for his role in a deadly meningitis outbreak, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. Former WellCare general counsel faces 5 years in prison for making false statement to Florida Medicaid program
The former general counsel for WellCare, a managed care health plan in Tampa, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to Florida's Medicaid program.
2. LA hospital operator to pay $42M to settle physician kickback case
The joint owners and operators of Los Angeles-based Pacific Alliance Medical Center agreed to pay $42 million to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act.
3. South Carolina hospital claims vendor incorrectly billed insurers on its behalf
Greenwood, S.C.-based Self Regional Healthcare sued Financial Review Services, a medical bill auditor, for allegedly inappropriately billing payers on SRH's behalf.
4. Shuttered NC hospital to pay $1M to settle lawsuit over improper layoff notifications
A federal judge has approved a settlement agreement that requires Kansas City, Mo.-based HMC/CAH, which leased and operated Yadkin Valley Community Hospital in Yadkinville, N.C., when it abruptly closed in 2015, to pay about $1 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit filed by former employees alleging violations of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.
5. Woman claims University of Minnesota Medical Center failed to protect her from sexual assault+
A woman who was sexually assaulted by another patient at the University of Minnesota Medical Center in April 2015 filed a lawsuit against the hospital, which she claims failed to protect her.
6. Oklahoma orthopedic practice pays $1.5M to resolve self-reported false claims
The Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center-Norman (Okla.) paid $1.5 million to resolve self-reported allegations of submitting false claims to Medicare, Medicaid, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Tricare.
7. Florida physician, infusion clinic owner sentenced to 5+ years in prison for billing fraud
A medical director and an owner of four Orlando, Fla.-based infusion clinics were convicted of submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare for expensive and medically unnecessary infusion therapy treatments.
8. Cardiac monitoring companies to resolve fraud allegations with $13.4M settlement: 4 things to know
Three health technology companies agreed to pay a total of $13.45 million to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act and inflated Medicare billing for remote heart monitoring services.
9. Pharmacist gets 9 years in prison for role in deadly meningitis outbreak
Barry Cadden, a pharmacist and owner of now-closed New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., was sentenced to nine years in prison on racketeering and fraud charges for his involvement in a deadly meningitis outbreak in 2012.
10. Boston cancer researcher wins $22M in suit against Steward Health Care
A Suffolk Superior Court jury awarded more than $22 million to Lynn Hlatky, PhD, a cancer researcher who sued Boston-based Steward Health Care over a series of events that ultimately led to the destruction of her lab in 2014.
More articles on legal and regulatory issues:
Woman sues Illinois hospital over red-winged blackbird attack
Theranos agrees to pay Walgreens less than $30M to settle breach of contract lawsuit
Genesis HealthCare to pay $53.6M to settle 6 false billing cases