From a panel of appellate judges upholding HHS' site-neutral payment cuts to King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services settling false claims allegations, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. HHS' site-neutral pay cuts are legal, appeals court rules
A panel of appellate judges on July 17 overturned a lower court ruling and held that HHS' site-neutral payment policy that cuts Medicare payments for hospital outpatient visits can go forward.
2. Trump administration's expansion of short-term health plans upheld in appeals court
An appeals court upheld the Trump administration's expansion of short-term health plans in a 2-1 decision July 17.
3. Judge dismisses lawsuit accusing Georgia hospital of manipulating COVID-19 test results
A judge in Gwinnett County, Ga., dismissed a lawsuit filed against Landmark Hospital of Athens (Ga.) alleging the hospital manipulated COVID-19 test results and created a public health risk.
4. Geisinger settles lawsuit over NICU infections that killed 3 infants
Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger reached a settlement with the families of infants who died or were injured as a result of contracting bacterial infections while in the neonatal intensive care unit at Geisinger Medical Center.
5. New York union can't sue hospital over alleged violation of human trafficking law, court rules
A federal judge ruled a New York union cannot sue Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center for alleged trafficking law violations related to its program to recruit nurses from the Philippines to work in the hospital.
6. UnitedHealth used $1B+ from employer plans to settle payment disputes, lawsuit says
UnitedHealth Group used more than $1.3 billion from employer-based plans to settle payment disputes with physicians through a practice known as "cross-plan offsetting," according to a new lawsuit.
7. Lawsuit accuses TeamHealth of billing fraud, 'profiting from patients'
A new lawsuit against TeamHealth accuses the Knoxville, Tenn.-based physician-staffing firm of fraudulent patient billing and skirting state laws to maximize profits.
8. Ohio AG sues Express Scripts, alleges millions in overcharges
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit July 13 against Express Scripts, one of the country's largest pharmacy benefit managers, accusing it of "silently pocketing millions of dollars in overcharges" on prescription drugs to an Ohio retirement system.
9. Texas hospital sued for retaliation after firing employee
The Woodlands Psychiatry and Counseling Co., a hospital in Conroe, Texas, is being accused of retaliation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over the firing of an employee.
10. UHS settles false claims allegations for $122M
King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services and two related entities agreed to pay $122 million to settle kickback allegations and claims that they billed for unnecessary inpatient behavioral health services.