Category: Legal & Regulatory Issues

10 recent hospital lawsuits, settlements

From Wellstar Health getting hit with three federal complaints over the closure of two Atlanta-area hospitals, to a former CEO suing a Missouri hospital for slander, here are 10 hospital lawsuits and settlements reported by Becker’s since Feb. 27:&nbsp…

Minnesota medical supplier owes $5.6M in taxes, U.S. alleges

The U.S. filed a lawsuit against Mounds View, Minn.-based Midwest Medical Holdings on March 16, accusing the company that supplies pharmaceutical and medical products of owing millions of dollars in employment taxes. 

Healthcare executive charged with fixing nurse wages

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a staffing executive at three home health agencies in Las Vegas with participating in a conspiracy to fix nurses’ wages, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada said March 16.

Patients settle with maker of freezer tank that failed at San Francisco fertility clinic

When a freezer tank at the Pacific Fertility Center in San Francisco malfunctioned in 2018, around 4,000 embryos and eggs inside were destroyed. Patients affected by the failure have now settled out of court with Chart, the manufacturer of the freezer …

Illinois physician accused of removing part of patients' uteruses in healthcare fraud scheme

A Chicago-area physician is accused of 13 counts of healthcare fraud, including performing medically unnecessary procedures such as removing part of patients’ uteruses.

Minnesota lawmakers look to increase charity care accessibility

Minnesota lawmakers introduced new legislation that, if passed, will require hospitals to screen all uninsured patients for charity care eligibility and assist them during the application process, the Post Bulletin reported March 16.

Wellstar faces another federal complaint over hospital closures

The Fulton County (Ga.) Commission voted on March 15 to file a complaint with the Justice Department against Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System, marking the third request for federal complaints against the health system over its closure of two …

Former VA hospital manager sentenced to 6 months for accepting kickbacks

Ralph Johnson, a former manager at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was sentenced to six months in federal prison for accepting $30,000 in kickbacks and bribes to steer contracts toward a Florida couple, Stars and Stripes reported Marc…

States ranked by Medicaid fraud dollars in 2022

Nationwide, Medicaid fraud units recovered $1.1 billion in civil and criminal suits in 2022, according to a report from the HHS’ Office of Inspector General. 

Florida physician accused of unlawful opioid prescribing settles for $225K

A former Panama City, Fla.-based NeuroMedical Institute physician, George Barrio, MD, has agreed to pay $225,000 to settle allegations that he engaged in unlawful prescribing of opioids to patients.