From a health insurer suing dozens of drug companies to a Montana hospital paying $10 million to resolve kickback allegations, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. UnitedHealth sues dozens of drug companies for price-fixing
Health insurance giant United HealthCare Services filed a federal lawsuit Jan. 16 against more than 40 drug companies, alleging they violated federal and state antitrust laws.
2. $2.95M settlement for California hospital workers who said they were denied lunch breaks
Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, Calif., agreed to pay $2.95 million to settle allegations it compensated workers less than the amount owed and prevented them from taking lunch breaks.
3. Lawsuit seeks to oust operator of Oklahoma hospital
The City of Prague (Okla.) filed a lawsuit against the owner of Prague Community Hospital, seeking to have a receiver appointed to immediately assume operational control of the facility.
4. Florida Hospital can dismiss claims it acted as debt collector, judge says
A judge granted motions filed by Tampa, Fla.-based Florida Hospital Carrollwood — recently renamed AdventHealth Carrollwood — to dismiss claims that the hospital functions as a debt collector.
5. CHOP sues over 'misappropriation' of its research: 4 things to know
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia sued the man it hired to develop markets for medical breakthroughs, claiming he "misappropriated" confidential research findings.
6. Rite Aid pays $177K to settle improper drug-dispensing allegations
Retail pharmacy chain Rite Aid will pay $177,000 to resolve allegations that it violated Massachusetts law by accepting cash payments from Medicaid recipients for controlled substances instead of billing the agency "in a limited number of instances."
7. Second lawsuit filed against Ohio health system, physician charged with ordering fatal pain med doses
A second lawsuit was filed against Columbus, Ohio-based Mount Carmel Health System and one of its former physicians after an internal investigation revealed the physician ordered excessive and potentially fatal pain medication doses for at least 27 patients between 2015-18.
8. Ex-hospital CEO imprisoned for kickback scheme breaches plea deal
The former owner and CEO of Long Beach, Calif.-based Pacific Hospital, who is serving a prison sentence for orchestrating a more than $500 million kickback scheme, breached his plea deal with prosecutors, a federal judge said.
9. Montana hospital pays $10M to settle kickback suit
Bozeman (Mont.) Health Deaconess Hospital paid $10 million to resolve allegations the hospital submitted fraudulent claims to government payers as part of a kickback scheme.
10. High court hears arguments in Medicare hospital reimbursement case
U.S. Supreme Court justices heard arguments Jan. 15 in a case to determine whether HHS inappropriately altered methods for calculating Medicare hospital reimbursement.
11. Physician assistant admits role in $1B Medicare fraud scheme
A former physician assistant faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty in Florida federal court Jan. 9 to his role in a $1 billion Medicare fraud scheme.
12. California AG tries to halt sale of 2 hospitals
A California county's deal to acquire two hospitals from El Segundo, Calif.-based Verity Health is in jeopardy after California Attorney General Xavier Becerra appealed the bankruptcy court's approval of the sale
13. Physician staffing company sues Arizona hospital
Global Hospitalist Solutions, a Memphis, Tenn.-based physician staffing company, sued Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital for more than $1.9 million.
14. Judge blocks Trump mandate limiting accessible contraception
A Pennsylvania district court judge on Jan. 14 issued an injunction against the Trump administration's regulation allowing employers to opt out of providing contraception coverage at no cost under religious or moral objections.
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