From a Texas physician paying $2 million to settle false claims allegations to a nurse suing a Tennessee hospital over a patient attack, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. BJC HealthCare wants $150M in damages for 'buckling' floors in $1B expansion
St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare filed a lawsuit over uneven floors in its new patient tower, a problem the health system said delayed construction by a year and cost "millions of dollars."
2. New Jersey physician charged in $1.2B fraud scheme pleads guilty
A New Jersey physician implicated in a component of a $1.2 billion Medicare fraud pleaded guilty to criminal charges Sept. 12.
3. Feds fight Hahnemann residency program sale
Lawyers for the Department of Justice are appealing a bankruptcy judge's decision to allow six health systems to buy Philadelphia-based Hahnemann University Hospital's residency programs.
4. Florida healthcare executive gets 20 years in $1.3B Medicare fraud case
Philip Esformes, who operated a chain of skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Florida, was sentenced Sept. 12 to 20 years in prison.
5. Health First's 'scorched earth turf war' at heart of physician privilege lawsuit, judge rules
A federal judge in Florida says a legal dispute between seven oncologists and Titusville, Fla.-based Parrish Medical Center was created by a third-party health system seeking market dominance: Rockledge, Fla.-based Health First.
6. Wisconsin hospital, Ciox Health to pay $35M for medical records overcharges
Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care and Ciox Health, a medical records management company, agreed to pay $35.4 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that claimed the organizations overcharged for medical record requests.
7. Nurse sues Tennessee hospital over patient attack
A nurse practitioner filed a lawsuit against Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., alleging the hospital failed to protect her from a violent patient last year.
8. Texas physician pays $2M to settle false claims allegations
A family physician and former clinic operator agreed to pay $2.1 million to resolve claims that he falsely billed Medicare for unnecessary services.
9. St. Clare's Hospital retirees sue Catholic Diocese of Albany over pensions
About 100 retired workers of St. Clare's Hospital in Schenectady, N.Y., filed a lawsuit Sept. 10 against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany over reduced and eliminated pension benefits.
10. Telemedicine company CEO pleads guilty in $424M fraud scheme
The owner and CEO of a telemedicine company pleaded guilty Sept. 6 for his role in a $424 million fraud scheme, which is part of one of the largest healthcare scams ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice.
11. Sutter Health faces class-action lawsuit over pricing
A class-action lawsuit alleging Sutter Health violated California's antitrust laws by using its market power to overcharge patients is slated to open Sept. 23.
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