(Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has joined a whistleblower lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group Inc. that claims the country’s largest health insurer and its units and affiliates overcharged Medicare hundreds of millions of dollars, a law firm representing the whistleblower said on Thursday. “We reject these more than five-year-old claims and will contest…
U.S. Court Blocks Anthem-Cigna Deal
(Reuters)—A federal judge on Wednesday ruled against U.S. health insurer Anthem Inc.’s proposed $54 billion merger with smaller rival Cigna Corp, derailing an unprecedented effort to consolidate the country’s health insurance industry. The U.S. Department of Justice sued in July to stop Anthem’s purchase of Cigna, a deal that would have created the largest U.S….
Stronger Malpractice Laws May Not Prevent Surgical Complications
(Reuters Health)—More aggressive malpractice climates don’t necessarily protect patients from surgical complications, a new study suggests. Supporters of medical malpractice laws that make it easier for patients to sue doctors say these protections are necessary to improve care. But in the current study, the risk of litigation didn’t translate into better outcomes, said study leader…
U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Dispute Over Biologic Drug Sales
NEW YORK (Reuters)—The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a dispute over whether companies that make copycat versions of biologic drugs must wait six months after winning federal approval to begin selling them. The justices will take up an appeal by Novartis AG of a 2015 federal appeals court decision that prevented the…
Verdict: Johnson & Johnson to Pay More Than $1 Billion for Defective Hip Implants
(Reuters)—A federal jury in Dallas on Thursday ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and its DePuy Orthopaedics unit to pay more than $1 billion to six plaintiffs who said they were injured by Pinnacle hip implants. The jurors found that the metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip implants were defectively designed and that the companies failed to warn consumers…
Senator Warns Against Simultaneous Overhaul of Medicare & Obamacare
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—A senior U.S. Senator warned his on Thursday against simultaneously overhauling Medicare and the Obamacare health insurance program, saying this would be “biting off more than you can chew.” The cautionary comments from Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) came after House Speaker Paul Ryan, long an advocate of privatizing Medicare, said Republican lawmakers would be…
Employee Non-Compete Agreements in Physician Practices
You started a medical practice and, through the years, have developed policies, procedures, strategies, work products, client relationships and confidential information that are specific to your practice and its success. As your practice grows, you know you will need to hire more employees. You also understand, however, that any potential employee may pose a risk…
Cigna Ends Preauthorization Requirement to Treat Opioid Addiction
(Reuters)—Health insurer Cigna Corp. has discontinued its policy of requiring doctors to seek authorization before treating opioid addicts, as part of a fight against an epidemic of opioid abuse, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said on Friday. The policy change will apply nationally, says Schneiderman, who has been pushing for easier access to treatments…
Tenet Healthcare to Pay More Than $513 Million in Fraud Scheme
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—U.S. hospital chain Tenet Healthcare Corp. and two of its Atlanta-area units will pay more than $513 million to resolve criminal charges and civil claims relating to a scheme to defraud the U.S. and pay kickbacks in exchange for patient referrals, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Monday.1 Tenet had disclosed in August…
Big Pharma vs. Big Pharma in Court Battles over Biosimilar Drugs
ZURICH (Reuters)—The line dividing makers of brand-name drugs and copycat medicines is blurring as companies known for innovative treatments queue up to peddle copies of rivals’ complex biological medicines. These drug makers are now increasingly straddling both sides of the courtroom, too, protecting their high-price products from biosimilars—biopharmaceutical drugs with the treatment properties of medicines…
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