From a New York judge upholding a ban on religious exemption to vaccine laws to a Pennsylvania hospital settling False Claims Act allegations, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. Telehealth advocacy group sues WebMD for violation of patient trust
Responsible Telemedicine, a San Francisco-based consumer watchdog group, filed a lawsuit against WebMD on July 15, citing the digital health company's alleged disregard for patient well-being.
2. Pennsylvania hospital strikes $2.5M deal in fraudulent billing case
Millcreek Community Hospital in Erie, Pa., agreed to pay $2.45 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations.
3. Michigan surgeon accused of $60M billing fraud
An indictment unsealed July 10 charges Vasso Godiali, MD, with orchestrating a $60 million healthcare fraud scheme and laundering proceeds from the scheme.
4. Surescripts moves to dismiss FTC antitrust charge
Surescripts, a health information network focused on e-prescriptions, filed a motion July 12 to dismiss the FTC's charge from April that the company used illegal tactics to develop monopolies over two e-prescribing markets.
5. Bridal shop's lawsuit against Texas Health Resources over Ebola-related closure heads to state's supreme court
The Texas Supreme Court will decide in November if Arlington-based Texas Health Resources was negligent when two of its nurses were infected with Ebola on the job.
6. New York judge maintains ban on religious exemption to vaccine laws
A New York judge refused July 12 to block a state law revoking religious exemptions to vaccine requirements.
7. UnitedHealth needs to shore up mental health coverage, plaintiffs argue
UnitedHealth Group should create new guidelines for covering behavioral health treatment and reevaluate denied claims based on those guidelines, plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against the insurer said in a court filing.
More articles on legal and regulatory issues:
False Claims Act settlements top $750M in first half of 2019
Fraud-prone providers slipping into states' Medicaid programs, OIG says
California passes law to protect healthcare whistleblowers