From a Massachusetts hospital settling a whistleblower case to a Washington-based health system facing a suit over its collection tactics, here are the latest hospital lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. Washington sues Providence over collection tactics
Washington state's attorney general filed suit against Renton, Wash.-based Providence, alleging that 14 of its hospitals engaged in aggressive tactics to collect payment, failed to ensure discounts for eligible low-income patients, and steered poor patients to debt collectors.
2. Massachusetts General Hospital resolves overlapping surgery suit for $14.6M
Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital agreed to pay $14.6 million to settle a federal whistleblower lawsuit alleging that the hospital violated Medicare and Medicaid rules when some of its orthopedic surgeons engaged in concurrent surgeries.
3. Patient sues North Carolina health system, alleging unfair billing practices
A patient filed a lawsuit against Greenville, N.C.-based Vidant Health, alleging the 1,477-bed system engaged in deceptive billing and debt collection practices.
4. Montana hospital workers sue employer, claiming underpayments
Workers at Community Medical Center in Missoula, Mont., are accusing their employer of underpaying them. Hospital leaders responded, noting the payment issues stemmed from a ransomware attack with a third-party vendor.
5. Oklahoma hospital, physicians to pay $550K over inappropriate prescribing
Comanche County Hospital Authority, which owns Comanche County Memorial Hospital in Lawton, Okla., and two physicians formerly employed at the hospital agreed to pay $550,000 to resolve allegations about inappropriate prescribing practices.