From the owner of a Texas hospital facing prison time for healthcare fraud to a pharmaceutical company paying damages for retaliating against a whistle-blower, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. Vanguard Healthcare will pay $18M to resolve billing fraud lawsuit
Vanguard Healthcare, a Brentwood, Tenn.-based nursing home chain, agreed to pay more than $18 million to resolve false claims allegations.
2. Arizona hospital fires back at physician staffing company with lawsuit
Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital in Green Valley, Ariz., filed a counterclaim against Global Hospitalist Solutions after the Memphis, Tenn.-based physician staffing company sued the hospital for more than $1.9 million.
3. Texas hospital owner convicted in $20M healthcare fraud scheme
A federal jury convicted a physician and the owner of a Houston hospital of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, 17 counts of healthcare fraud and three counts of money laundering.
4. Former California pharmacy owner gets 4 years for orchestrating $1.3M Medicare scam
The former owner of Akhtamar Pharmacy, based in Pasadena, Calif., was sentenced to four years in prison for orchestrating a $1.3 million Medicare fraud scheme.
5. Novartis ordered to pay $1.5M for retaliating against whistle-blower
Novartis must pay $1.5 million in damages to a former employee who claimed she was fired in retaliation for objecting to a proposed drug study.
6. Physicians accepted $40M in kickbacks from Texas hospital, feds say
The federal trial for 10 defendants, including four surgeons and a pain physician, accused of participating in a $200 million healthcare fraud scheme kicked off last week.
7. HCA accused of billing fraud: 3 things to know
A former nurse at Regional Medical Center in San Jose, Calif., filed a federal lawsuit alleging the hospital and its owner, Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, submitted false claims to Medicare.
8. Former Texas pharmacy rep pleads guilty to $8.8M bribery, kickback scheme
A former San Antonio pharmaceutical representative pleaded guilty to her role in an $8.8 million healthcare fraud scheme.
9. Home health company owner sentenced in $8.6M fraud scheme
The owner of a Miami-based home health services company and a co-conspirator were sentenced to prison Feb. 27 for taking part in an $8.6 million healthcare fraud scheme.
10. California attorney general fails to stop county's purchase of 2 hospitals
A district judge denied an emergency motion by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to halt the sale of two hospitals to Santa Clara County.
11. Missouri pharmacy professor sold student's work to drugmaker for $1.5M, lawsuit claims
A pharmacy professor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City stole a student's research and secretly sold it to a pharmaceutical company for $1.5 million, a lawsuit filed Feb. 26 charges.
12. Massachusetts physician to pay $680K to resolve false billing claims
Massachusetts geriatric medicine physician Hooshang Poor, MD, agreed to pay $680,000 to resolve allegations that he submitted inflated claims to Medicare and the Massachusetts Medicaid program.
13. BCBS of Michigan accused of charging hidden fees
A nonprofit organization filed a lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan accusing the health insurer of skimming additional fees from the organizations.
More articles on legal and regulatory issues:
Ex-CEO accused of defrauding eHealth Technologies
Prime Healthcare, CEO settle billing fraud allegations
Intermountain: Whistle-blower provisions of False Claims Act are unconstitutional