From a Maryland physician acquitted in an alleged $15 million fraud scheme to an Iowa pharmacy filing a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group, here are 10 recent healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements and legal developments Becker's has reported since Dec. 21:
1. The judge overseeing the Johns Hopkins All Children's civil case made famous by a Netflix documentary determined there was no juror misconduct during the eight-week trial.
2. A Maryland physician was acquitted of a more than $15 million fraud scheme conviction after the court determined prosecution did not provide enough evidence that "ambiguous" CPT codes were being abused.
3. Greenwich (Conn.) Hospital's lawsuit against the town's planning and zoning commission for rejecting the hospital's bid to develop a cancer care center has been dismissed by a state Supreme Court judge.
4. A federal judge temporarily blocked an Idaho law banning gender-affirming care for minors.
5. New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital reached a settlement, which calls for the health system to pay $300,000 for using advertising tools that shared personal information with technology companies.
6. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is settling a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The pediatric healthcare system is set to pay $45,000 to a former maintenance employee who allegedly requested religious exemption from the system's flu vaccination requirements due to "sincerely held religious beliefs" in 2019.
7. Newark, Del.-based ChristianaCare is paying $47.1 million to resolve an over six-year-old kickback lawsuit filed by the health system's former chief compliance officer.
8. A third lawsuit was filed related to the abrupt closure of Stone Academy, a for-profit nursing school based in Connecticut. Nine students filed a federal lawsuit against state officials at the Office of Higher Education and the state Department of Public Health, which had oversight of the for-profit school while it was still operational.
9. A second arrest warrant was issued for Ammon Bundy, the former gubernatorial candidate and far-right public figure at the center of a legal battle with Boise-based St. Luke's Health System. Ada County District Court Judge Nancy Baskin issued the new warrant for Mr. Bundy’s arrest after he skipped court Dec. 18, the first day of his trial against the health system.
10. An Iowa pharmacy filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group and its pharmacy benefit manager, accusing the company of "unconscionable" DIR fees.