(Reuters)—The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) has accused UnitedHealth Group Inc. of obtaining inflated payments from the government based on inaccurate information about the health status of patients enrolled in its largest Medicare Advantage Plan.1 The complaint, filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday, came after the DOJ earlier this year intervened in two…
U.S. Could File Charges in Generic Drug Probe by Year-End
(Reuters)—U.S. prosecutors could file the first charges in their criminal investigation of generic drugmakers over suspected price collusion by the end of the year, Bloomberg reports. The antitrust investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) spans more than a dozen companies and about two dozen drugs, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter….
U.S. Justice Department to Push Prosecutors on Opioids
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The U.S. Justice Department will enlist federal prosecutors to help fight the nation’s opioid crisis by sharing information on overprescribing doctors and coordinating with public health officials to address addiction, USA Today reported on Friday. “You can’t just have an enforcement strategy alone,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch told the newspaper in an interview. She…
U.S. Regulators Sue to Block Anthem-Cigna & Aetna-Humana Mergers
NEW YORK (Reuters)—U.S. antitrust officials on Thursday moved to block an unprecedented consolidation of the national health insurance market, filing suit against Anthem Inc.’s proposed purchase of Cigna Corp. and Aetna Inc.’s planned acquisition of Humana Inc. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says the two mergers would reduce competition, raise prices for consumers and…
U.S. Antitrust Officials Poised to Block Anthem, Aetna Deals
NEW YORK (Reuters)—U.S. antitrust officials are poised to file lawsuits to block Anthem Inc’s acquisition of Cigna Corp., as well as Aetna Inc.’s takeover of Humana Inc., a person familiar with the matter tells Reuters. Antitrust regulators have been scrutinizing the deals and looking at the potential for higher prices if the insurance market consolidates…
How to Avoid Legal Pitfalls
In busy rheumatology practices, mountains of paperwork for insurance companies and federal healthcare programs make it hard to keep track of what’s legal. Missing documentation is the most common way to spark an investigation. Here are a few considerations to help you avoid legal pitfalls…
U.S. Hospitals Urge DOJ Antitrust Probe of Anthem-Cigna Deal
NEW YORK (Reuters)—U.S. hospitals urged antitrust regulators this week to consider whether health insurer Anthem Inc’s planned acquisition of rival Cigna Corp would boost healthcare costs. In a letter to the Department of Justice, the hospital industry’s largest lobbying group said combining the No. 1 and No. 5 health insurers threatens to reduce competition in…