From a 23-hospital health system agreeing to pay $14.25 million to settle false claims allegations to a former revenue cycle director charged with embezzling funds from a Delaware hospital, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. 23-hospital system enters $14M settlement with feds over improper physician payments
Mercy Health, a 23-hospital system based in Cincinnati, agreed to pay the federal government $14.25 million to resolve allegations the system violated the False Claims Act.
2. Texas hospital closes, allegedly owes Cigna and Aetna $43M
A lawsuit filed against Bay Area Regional Medical Center in Webster, Texas, last week by a lab testing company revealed the shuttered hospital may owe Cigna and Aetna a combined $43 million.
3. Patients sue Gilead over alleged delays in developing safer HIV medication
Two California men filed a lawsuit against drugmaker Gilead Sciences May 8, claiming they were harmed because the pharmaceutical company intentionally delayed the development of a safer version of tenofovir — its lead HIV medication.
4. Nurse collects $6M in whistle-blower lawsuits against Banner, Christus and Renown Health
Over the past decade, Cecilia Guardiola, RN, has filed whistle-blower lawsuits against hospitals that have employed her in Texas, Nevada and Arizona, and those facilities have paid nearly $33 million to the federal government to settle those cases.
5. Chain of 96 urgent care centers will pay $6.6M to settle false billing allegations
New York City-based CityMD, which operates 96 urgent care centers nationwide, agreed to pay the federal government $6.6 million to settle false claims allegations.
6. Ex-revenue cycle director charged with embezzling $150k from Beebe Healthcare
Hope Abram, a former revenue cycle director at Lewes, Del.-based Beebe Healthcare, was arrested and charged with embezzling $150,000 from the hospital.
7. CEO, CFO of Missouri hospital allegedly received $100k in inappropriate reimbursement
The CEO and CFO of Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in Maryland Heights, Mo., resigned earlier this month after the hospital board discovered the executives violated the hospital's paid time off policy. The two received more than $100,000 combined in inappropriate reimbursement for paid time off, a spokesperson for the hospital's board told the St. Louis Business Journal.
8. UnityPoint Health hit with class-action lawsuit over data breach
A class-action lawsuit was filed May 4 against West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health over a data breach that affected 16,429 patients.
9. Man sues Washington hospital after nurse allegedly infects him with hep C
A man who claims he was infected with hepatitis C during treatment at Puyallup, Wash.-based MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital in December is suing the hospital and its parent company, Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System.
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