From Walgreens agreeing to pay $100 million to settle overcharging allegations, to another payer suing over Medicare Advantage star ratings, here are 10 healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements and legal developments that Becker's has reported since Oct. 24:
1. Jersey City, N.J.-based CarePoint Health Systems was partially denied a request to delay its antitrust lawsuit against West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health by a New Jersey federal magistrate judge due to the health system's Nov. 3 filing for Chapter 11 protection
2. Walgreens agreed to pay $100 million to settle a class action lawsuit accusing the pharmacy chain of inflating prescription drug prices for insured customers.
3. Horizon Medical Center of Denton (Texas) agreed to pay $14.2 million to settle potential Medicare regulation and Stark Law violations.
4. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case challenging how HHS calculates disproportionate share hospital payments for Supplemental Security Income benefits.
5. Louisiana healthcare workers filed a lawsuit against a new state law that classifies abortion medications as controlled substances, a designation the plaintiffs say will delay care and harm patients.
6. Elevance Health is the latest insurer challenging CMS' 2025 Medicare Advantage star ratings.
7. A second physician in Texas is facing a lawsuit from Attorney General Ken Paxton for allegedly violating state law by prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy drugs to minors.
8. Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry sued Prospect Medical Holdings for years of "mismanagement and neglect" of Upland, Pa.-based Crozer Health, which has disrupted healthcare services and resulted in various facility closures
9. Providence St. Joseph Hospital agreed to California Attorney General Rob Bonta's stipulation that the hospital will provide emergency abortion care in the future.
10. The American Medical Association and the Illinois State Medical Society filed a lawsuit against MultiPlan alleging the data analytics firm is colluding with with commercial payers in a price-fixing scheme that has "undercut fair payment for out-of-network health care services and eliminated market competition, resulting in harm to patients and physicians."