From University of Virginia Health dropping thousand of lawsuits against patients to Kaiser Permanente settling a discrimination case, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. Federal court dismisses false claims, antitrust lawsuits against Health First
A federal judge in Florida dismissed two lawsuits filed against Health First, an integrated health system based in Rockledge, Fla.
2. Kaiser to pay $11.5M to settle racial discrimination class-action suit
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente agreed to pay $11.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused it of discriminating against employees based on race.
3. North Carolina health system sues insurer over $1.5B policy payout
Novant Health filed a lawsuit against a subsidiary of Zurich, alleging the insurance carrier should cover the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based health system's pandemic-related losses.
4. Hospitals target new organ donation guidelines in federal lawsuit
Hospitals are suing the federal government over a new organ distribution policy.
5. Harvard specialty hospital to pay $2.7M to settle improper billing allegations
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a Harvard University specialty hospital in Boston, agreed to pay $2.7 million to resolve improper billing allegations.
6. UVA Health to drop thousands of lawsuits against patients for unpaid bills
University of Virginia Health will wipe out a decades-old backlog of court judgments and liens resulting from lawsuits it brought against patients for unpaid hospital bills.
7. St. Peter's seeks delay in oncologist's lawsuit against system
Helena, Mont.-based St. Peter's Health asked a judge to stay a lawsuit filed by a former oncologist against the health system.
8. Cigna accuses Connecticut physician practice of price gouging
A Connecticut physician practice suing Cigna over COVID-19 payments exploited a national health emergency and overcharged insurers for diagnostic tests, Cigna claimed in court filings.
9. Stanford Health Care sues Anthem, alleges breach of implied contract
Stanford (Calif.) Health Care filed a lawsuit against Anthem, claiming its subsidiary Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana didn't pay the proper amount for services given to patients.