Report: UnitedHealth under investigation by DOJ | FDA approves first treatment for rare genetic disorder | more

According to the Wall Street Journal, the DOJ is looking into whether the insurer is responsible for billing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for patient diagnoses not applicable to the actual care a patient will need, in an effort to boost monthly payments received by the agency. 

Ctexli (chenodiol) can now be prescribed to patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis, a condition caused by a genetic mutation that leads to cholesterol buildup around vital organs. 

A federal court dismissed a counterclaim from CVS, UnitedHealth and Cigna that sought to halt the case on constitutional grounds.

Sonny Saggar, MD, a physician working for St. Louis General Hospital, billed Medicare and Medicaid for patient visits his unqualified assistants conducted. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy. 

A cybersecurity researcher made the discovery. The database, in the care of a clinical trials company, was not password protected or encrypted. 

Mahendra Ami, MD, is seeking the judgement after MSNBC reported several times that he was performing unwanted hysterectomies on patients at a Georgia detention center. Ami said the outlet ignored evidence to the contrary and failed to verify that statements from a  whistleblower were true. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services appealed a court ruling that ordered the agency to change the star rating for UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Part D plans, which had been reduced due to a disputed phone call. CMS has now dropped the appeal.

“Radiology, by nature, presents a unique challenge to physician well-being,” Cody R. Johnson, MD, and colleagues write in Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology. 

These safety issues have been linked to more than 800 injuries and two deaths. It is possible, the FDA warned, that some patients may require a device to be removed and replaced.