From 504 hospitals being hit with a whistle-blower lawsuit to nine New Jersey hospitals suing HHS, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. 504 hospitals hit with whistle-blower lawsuit alleging false claims violations
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Healogics, which operates wound care centers across the U.S., and 504 hospitals across the country — including hospitals from systems such as Cleveland Clinic, St. Louis-based Ascension Health and Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare — have been accused of defrauding Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare, among others.
2. Nevada agrees to pay $400k to settle patient dumping allegations
Nevada agreed to pay the city of San Francisco $400,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging the state bused poor and mentally ill patients from a Las Vegas hospital to the Bay Area without plans for their care.
3. Miami physician indicted for role in $20M healthcare fraud scheme
Henry Lora, MD, a Miami-based physician, was charged with participating in a Medicare fraud scheme that caused losses of more than $20 million.
4. Xenex gets temporary restraining order against rival UV disinfection company Tru-D
In Texas, a Bexar County District Court issued a temporary restraining order against Tru Defense Inc., to force the company to stop publishing false and misleading statements about its Tru-D Smart UV disinfection device.
5. 9 NJ hospitals sue HHS over Medicare reimbursement rates
A group of New Jersey hospitals sued HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell in federal court, alleging the agency wrongly reduced Medicare payments to hospitals for treating high numbers of low-income patients under the New Jersey Charity Care Program.
6. Ex-hospital CFO charged with grand theft turns herself in
Standpoint, Idaho-based Bonner General Health's former CFO, Norilina Harvel, who is accused of embezzling approximately $225,000 from the hospital, turned herself in for arrest.
7. Ex-Erlanger executive gets $600k in wrongful termination settlement
A $25 million lawsuit filed against Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger Health System by its former interim CEO, Charlesetta Woodward-Thompson, was settled for $600,000.
8. Fla. judge denies Health First's request to dismiss false claims suit
A Florida federal judge denied Rockledge, Fla.-based Health First's request to dismiss claims that it defrauded the government hundreds of millions of dollars by paying physicians kickbacks for referrals.
9. Children's hospital sues pulmonologists for allegedly stealing patients
Valley Children's Hospital in Madera, Calif., is suing three pediatric pulmonologists for allegedly trying to steer patients to Fresno, Calif.-based University Pediatric Specialists, a rival medical group.
More articles on health law:
Whistle-blower physician: 'We have got to get hospitals out of the business of hiring doctors'
12 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements
ACLU hits Trinity Health with lawsuit alleging EMTALA violations