From Centene paying $215 million to California to settle allegations it overcharged the state's Medicaid program, to two Louisiana health systems accused of sharing patient data without consent, here are 10 healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements Becker's has reported since Feb. 7:
1. Oncologist Anne Grand'Maison, MD, filed a lawsuit against Buffalo, N.Y.-based Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, alleging whistleblower retaliation and gender discrimination.
2. Robert Spadoni, former vice president and COO of Rush Oak Park (Ill.) Hospital, was indicted for allegedly defrauding the hospital out of $622,000. He is charged with three counts of mail fraud and three counts of money laundering.
3. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is challenging the state's decision to hand its State Health Plan contract to Aetna.
4. A federal judge granted Cigna a temporary restraining order in its lawsuit alleging former executive Amy Bricker's departure for rival CVS Health violated a noncompete agreement.
5. Washington, D.C.-based St. Elizabeths Hospital settled a federal class-action lawsuit over the hospital's mishandling of its October 2019 water crisis and 2020 COVID-19 procedures.
6. New Orleans-based LCMC Health and Shreveport, La.-based Willis-Knighton Health System were sued for allegedly using a tracking code in their websites that shares sensitive patient data without patients' knowledge or consent.
7. Two people filed suit against Walmart and three pharmaceutical companies over the sale of eye drops that the CDC has linked to one death and five cases of blindness.
8. Martin Shkreli asked a federal judge to not hold him in contempt for failing to provide the Federal Trade Commission with information requested to determine whether he has violated a lifelong ban from working in the drug industry.
9. Centene will pay California $215 million, the largest payment the company has made to settle allegations it overcharged state Medicaid programs.
10. A federal judge in Texas has handed another win to the Texas Medical Association and medical providers nationwide against HHS over a challenge to the arbitration process between out-of-network providers and payers that was established under the No Surprises Act.