From shareholders suing a major for-profit hospital operator to an appellate court affirming a surgeon's $6.4M defamation award, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits making headlines.
1. UHS execs, directors escape lawsuit over billing practices
A Pennsylvania federal judge dismissed a shareholder lawsuit against several of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services' top executives and directors.
2. University of Iowa Hospitals faces potential class-action lawsuit over pay practices
Iowa City-based University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics faces a lawsuit over how it pays employees for overtime work.
3. CHS hit with another shareholder lawsuit
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems and the company's top executives are accused of misleading investors with an accounting change.
4. Surgeon keeps $6.4M defamation award in feud with Memorial Hermann
A Texas appellate court on Aug. 15 affirmed a $6.4 million jury verdict in favor of a heart surgeon who alleged Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System defamed him.
5. 3 more states sue Trump administration over public charge rule
New York, New York City, Connecticut and Vermont filed a joint lawsuit against the Trump administration over its public charge rule, which seeks to keep immigrants from obtaining permanent residency if they have used public benefits like food stamps or Medicaid. The Trump administration now faces a total of five lawsuits over the rule.
6. Legionnaires' patient sues Illinois hospital for negligence
A patient filed a lawsuit against Rush Oak Park (Ill.) Hospital Aug. 15, claiming she contracted Legionnaires' disease in July due to the hospital's negligence in responding to the presence of Legionella bacteria.
7. Citing court costs, US seeks dismissal of 7-year whistleblower suit against UnitedHealth Group unit
The U.S. government asked a federal judge on Aug. 20 to dismiss allegations that a UnitedHealth Group unit violated the False Claims Act by committing hospital billing fraud.
8. Lack of medical care at immigration centers prompts lawsuit
The Trump administration faces a class-action lawsuit over the quality of medical and mental healthcare provided at immigration detention centers.
9. HHS renews fight to require drug prices in TV ads
HHS appealed a July court ruling that blocked a regulation that would have required drugmakers to include list prices in direct-to-consumer TV advertisements.
10. Medical sterilization plant closed by Illinois EPA faces dozens of lawsuits
Sterigenics, an Illinois-based medical supply sterilization plant, has been sued by nearly three dozen people who allege it emitted fumes that have adversely affected their health.
11. Kaiser asks court to prevent Hawaii health system from balance-billing its health plan members
Amid a payment dispute, Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente filed a temporary restraining order to prevent Honolulu-based Queen's Health Systems from directly billing patients covered by Kaiser insurance plans.
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