From hospitals asking the Supreme Court to review cases on outpatient payment cuts to a former hospital chain CEO winning nearly $1 million in fees in a whistleblower case, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. Hospitals ask Supreme Court to reverse payment cuts
The American Hospital Association, other trade groups and individual hospitals filed petitions Feb. 10 asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse appeals court decisions in two cases involving outpatient payment cuts to hospitals.
2. Former hospital chain CEO wins nearly $1M in fees in whistleblower case
The former CEO of a hospital chain owned by Naples, Fla.-based Health Management Associates is entitled to $959,713 in attorneys' fees and expenses after his complaint against HMA helped the federal government secure a more than $260 million settlement, a Florida federal court ruled Feb. 8.
3. Hospitals barred from suing over $840M pay cut
A group of more than 680 hospitals can't revive a lawsuit saying they lost $840 million in payments because of adjustments made by federal regulators to make up for a Medicare shortfall, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia held Feb. 9.
4. Supreme Court should uphold ACA, Biden's DOJ says in changed stance
The Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to uphold the ACA on Feb. 10, switching the federal government's stance in a case on whether the law should be invalidated.
5. Hospitals not entitled to interest from Medicare payment cuts, judge rules
A group of hospitals are not entitled to recoup interest they claim they lost after HHS implemented payment cuts for its two-midnight rule for Medicare inpatient admissions, a federal court judge ruled Feb. 8.
6. Humana, Roche settle false claims lawsuit for $12.5M
Humana and Roche agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the companies of submitting false claims to Medicare.
7. Fired Florida health department data scientist drops lawsuit over police raid on her home
Florida data scientist Rebekah Jones, who developed the state's COVID-19 dashboard before being fired from the health department last year, is moving to dismiss her lawsuit filed against Florida officials over an armed raid on her home in December.