Stories about physicians and other healthcare professionals involved in lawsuits—as either a plaintiff or a defendant—or accused of breaking the law. Various legal updates or unusual stories in the news may land here.
After being ordered to pay $442 million in damages—a ruling the company has said it may appeal—Johnson & Johnson MedTech is now facing the possibility of a permanent injunction that could impact certain business practices. A hearing is scheduled for July.
The HHS Office for Civil Rights said it is investigating a "major" health system in Michigan that may have fired an employee for refusing to use a patient's preferred pronouns—meaning those that align with gender identity rather than biological sex. The agency contends that such compelled speech may violate federal laws protecting religious freedom.
The information was deleted to comply with an executive order from President Trump that censored content related to “gender ideology.” However, a federal judge has ordered the content restored as a court battle looms.
A report from the Guardian details how the VA removed language protecting patients from discrimination based on political affiliation and lifestyle. The department denies that there has been any actual change in policy.
Law firm Wright & Schulte said they filed a legal complaint on behalf of patients, pointing to the health system’s alleged lack of transparency and negligence in protecting data as the basis for the lawsuit.
Pennant and BrightSpring Health Services have agreed to purchase some healthcare businesses from UnitedHealth and Amedisys. However, it remains unclear whether this will be enough for the DOJ to drop its lawsuit blocking the merger.
In a lawsuit, plaintiffs allege the company changed course from a long-standing policy of denying medical claims, hiding from investors its impact on profits. The insurer denies any wrongdoing and vowed to defend itself in court.
Five Tenet Healthcare hospitals are suing the Leapfrog Group, accusing the organization of pressuring hospitals to share internal data in exchange for higher scores in its annual safety rankings. The watchdog outright denies the claim.
For the second time in less than two years, the struggling retail pharmacy chain has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, seeking buyers as it prepares for store closures.
State Attorney General Dana Nessel is suing Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics, accusing the two PBMs of manipulating rebate pricing, "crippling small, independent pharmacies and restricting access to lifesaving medications in the process."
The states argue the Department of Health and Human Services is failing to perform basic functions, in violation of the Constitution, as the agency and its programs are authorized by Congress.
Erin Strotman, 26, has been charged in a 12-count indictment for incidents of alleged neglect and abuse. Her license to practice nursing has also been suspended, pending trial.
The three insurance giants are accused of conspiring with brokers to enroll profitable patients in Medicare Advantage plans, in exchange for "hundreds of millions" in kickbacks.
After their proposal for a new American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine was shot down earlier this year, cardiology groups have asked the AMA for some support. "We feel like it's time for us to blaze our own path," one specialist explained.
The company has agreed to acquire Verve Therapeutics for an upfront payment of approximately $1 billion. The total could increase significantly, however, if certain milestones are met. One of Verve's biggest gene therapies has already received the FDA's fast track designation.
American College of Cardiology Board of Governors Chair David E. Winchester, MD, MS, examines the many benefits of working with the American Medical Association House of Delegates to bring about significant change.
