The following hospital lawsuits were reported in the past month, beginning with the most recent.
1. Hospital worker fired for refusing flu shot not victim of religious bias, court rules
A U.S. appeals court ruled that an employee who was fired from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for not getting the flu vaccine was not discriminated against due to her religion.
2. Tennessee hospital to pay $4.1M to resolve false claims allegations
Cookeville (Tenn.) Regional Medical Center agreed to pay $4.1 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act, Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute.
3. Former exec sues Moffitt Cancer Center, says he was wrongfully ousted over alleged ties to China
Thomas Sellers, PhD, filed a lawsuit against H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, alleging he was ousted from his role as director and executive vice president over wrongful accusations of ties to a controversial Chinese research program, leaving him "nearly unemployable."
4. Hospitals can be sued for battery when patients say 'stop,' appeals court rules
A patient who asks a clinician to stop a procedure and it's feasible to do so can sue for battery if medical staff continue with the treatment, a Massachusetts appeals court said. The opinion was issued in a case against Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
5. Yale New Haven Hospital sued over exam policy for employees 70+ years
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital, alleging its policy mandating eye and neuropsychological exams for employees age 70 or older who seek medical privileges violates two federal antidiscrimination laws.
6. How a Massachusetts hospital's faulty data slashed Medicare payments statewide
On Feb. 11, the District of Columbia federal appeals court held that Massachusetts hospitals can't force HHS to recalculate a wage index that was determined using erroneous data from one hospital. The faulty data caused 39 hospitals across the state to lose an estimated $115 million in 2017.
7. Hackensack Meridian Health faces lawsuit following ransomware attack
Two patients filed a lawsuit Feb. 10 against Hackensack (N.J.) Meridian Health alleging the health system failed to protect their information.
8. UPMC seeks $100M in civil suit over alleged pension error
Pittsburgh-based UPMC and UPMC Altoona (Pa.) are moving forward with a $100 million civil lawsuit accusing a financial services company of underestimating the health system's pension liability.
9. Tenet to pay $1.4M to settle medically unnecessary implant suit
Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare and one of its hospitals in Palm Springs, Calif., will pay $1.41 million to resolve allegations that they knowingly charged Medicare for implanting unnecessary cardiac monitors in patients in violation of the False Claims Act.
10. White River Health faces age discrimination suit
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit Feb. 7 against White River Health System in Batesville, Ark., accusing the system of firing employees over age 72 due to shortcomings in its insurance policy.
11. Illinois health system to pay $850K to end workers' overtime lawsuit
Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University HealthSystem agreed to pay $850,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging the health system failed to pay employees overtime when they worked more than 40 hours per week.
12. CHS fights securities fraud case: 'There is not a whiff of evidence'
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems and Quorum Health say there is no evidence to support a lawsuit brought by shareholders alleging Quorum's stock was trading at an inflated price after its spinoff from CHS due to the companies concealing financial information.
13. California hospital pushed end-of-life care on cancer patients, oncologist's lawsuit claims
An oncologist is suing a California medical center, claiming that physicians there pressure patients to opt for end-of-life care and that the hospital has retaliated against him for speaking out against its practices.
14. HCA wins bid to dismiss ER 'cover charge' suit
A federal judge dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare billed emergency room patients for an undisclosed "cover charge."
15. Nurse sues Phoenix health system over medical marijuana policy
An emergency room nurse filed a lawsuit against Phoenix-based Valleywise Health Feb. 5, alleging the health system's ban on employee medical marijuana use is discriminatory and violates state law.
16. Florida health system accused of forging letter to defame competitor's board members
A complaint filed Jan. 31 accuses Rockledge, Fla.-based Health First, one of its executives and an advertising firm of defaming board members of Parrish Medical Center in Titusville, Fla.
17. Orlando Health hit with whistleblower suit alleging forced referrals
An orthopedic surgeon is suing Orlando Health and three of its subsidiaries, alleging the health system violated federal law by requiring him to perform surgeries and make referrals within its network only.