Legal News

Stories about physicians and other healthcare professionals involved in lawsuits—as either a plaintiff or a defendantor accused of breaking the law. Various legal updates or unusual stories in the news may land here.

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Breached Change Healthcare server lacked multifactor authentication, UnitedHealth CEO admits

UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty told the Senate Finance Committee that systems have been rebuilt “from scratch” in light of the oversight.

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Philips settles cases over faulty sleep apnea machines for $1.1B

The litigation stems from a 2023 recall of CPAP machines and ventilators that caused users to inhale pieces of foam during use. The faulty units were linked to at least 561 deaths.

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AMGA condemns FTC ban on noncompetes in healthcare

The healthcare employers’ trade group said a nationwide ban on noncompete contracts will stifle investment in new technologies.

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Against malpractice for using clinical AI, the best defense is a good offense

If a clinician you care about counts on AI to help make medical decisions, remind them: Tort law principles hold that doing so means risking liability should a patient sue over harm done.

Which healthcare entities will be affected by ban on noncompetes? Look to business practices, not tax status

The new rule will give healthcare workers more options, but are non-profit hospitals exempt from the law?

Hackers were inside Change Healthcare’s systems 9 days before attack

UnitedHealth Group confirms hackers have personal data on “a substantial proportion of people in America."

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Mental health platform fined $7M by FTC for sharing data with advertisers

Cerebral has admitted to improperly sharing data with social media platforms for the purpose of targeted advertising. The company also made it difficult to cancel the service, costing its members millions.

Healthcare worker sentenced to 10 years for abusing disabled patients

Tyler Smith and co-defendant Zachary Dinell confessed to assaulting more than a dozen patients, expressing hatred for them simply because they’re disabled.

Around the web

Compensation for heart specialists continues to climb. What does this say about cardiology as a whole? Could private equity's rising influence bring about change? We spoke to MedAxiom CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, a veteran cardiologist himself, to learn more.

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”