From a for-profit hospital operator sued over the bankruptcy of a company it spun off to a former Massachusetts health system CFO alleging he was fired for voicing billing concerns, here are the latest hospital lawsuits making headlines.
1. CHS faces lawsuit over Quorum bankruptcy
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems is being sued over the 2020 bankruptcy of Quorum Health, a company it spun off in 2016. The complaint, filed Oct. 25, alleges actions by CHS and Credit Suisse Group burdened Quorum with more than $1.2 billion in debt. CHS tapped Credit Suisse as an adviser during the spinoff, according to The Wall Street Journal.
2. Kaiser defrauded Medicare of $1B, Justice Department alleges
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente and various affiliates defrauded Medicare of about $1 billion by adding diagnoses to patients' medical records to increase reimbursement, the Justice Department alleged in a complaint filed Oct. 25. The complaint stems from six lawsuits filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act.
3. Massachusetts health system fired CFO for voicing concerns over billing, lawsuit claims
Berkshire Health Systems in Pittsfield, Mass., allegedly fired its newly appointed CFO after he voiced concerns about the potential for widespread billing errors, according to a retaliation and wrongful termination lawsuit filed Oct. 22.
4. Novant Health must pay $10M to former exec in discrimination case
A former Novant Health executive who claimed in a lawsuit he was fired to help the Winston Salem, N.C.-based organization reach diversity goals was awarded $10 million by a federal jury Oct. 22.
5. UPMC won't sign medical exemptions for kids in mask-mandated schools, parents claim in lawsuit
In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court Oct. 20, parents in nine Western Pennsylvania communities allege that they are met with blanket refusal from UPMC physicians to sign medical exemptions allowing their children to attend school without masks.
6. Judgment favors Mississippi health system in trial over stolen patient records
A U.S. district judge issued a default judgment siding with Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center over litigation against three former employees who stole patient records and lied about their possession.