Open Payments is a federal program, required by the Affordable Care Act, that collects information about the payments drug and device companies make to physicians and teaching hospitals for things like travel, research, gifts, speaking fees, and meals. It also… Read More
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$9.5M California Medical Malpractice Verdict Overturned For Failure To Consider Future Medical Expenses Under ACA
The Court of Appeal of the State of California First Appellate District Division One (“California Appellate Court”) overturned a California medical malpractice jury’s award of $9,577,000 as the present cash value of the future medical and rehabilitation care expenses in… Read More
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Did Nominee For HHS Secretary Buy Stock, Then Introduce Legislation To Benefit The Company?
CNN reported on January 16, 2017 that President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Representative Tom Price, had bought stock in a medical device company that manufactures hip and knee replacements (Zimmer… Read More
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Deaf Wife Of Patient Files Lawsuit Against Maryland Hospital For Its Failure To Provide Her With Interpreter
On November 13, 2016, the deaf wife of a patient who was treated for cancer in a Maryland hospital filed a lawsuit against the hospital for its failure to provide her with a qualified sign language interpreter during her husband’s… Read More
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Study: Physicians’ Political Views Affect Patient Care
In a study recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, the Yale University researchers suggested, “Just as a patient may seek out a physician of a certain gender to feel more comfortable,… Read More
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Largest Medicare Fraud Sweep Involving $712M In Alleged Medicare False Billings
On June 18, 2015, the U.S. Attorney General and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the largest nationwide sweep led by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, resulting in charges against 243 individuals, including 46 doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical… Read More
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South Dakota Lawsuit Alleges Money Improperly Motivated Physician-Owned Hospital
A recently filed lawsuit by the former CEO of a physician-owned South Dakota hospital alleges what many people firmly believe about physician-owned hospitals: money motivates medical decisions, even if the decisions are not in the best interests of patients. The… Read More
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U.S. Senator Boxer’s Office Issues “Medical Errors” Report
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer’s Office recently issued a report entitled “Medical Errors” that discusses “the most common and devastating medical errors.” In July 2013, Senator Boxer contacted Partnership for Patients (a public-private partnership funded through the Affordable Care Act), to inquire… Read More
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Republican Party’s Alternative To Obamacare Shows Its Disdain For Our Jury System
The Republican Party’s recently published counter-proposal in response to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) shows its utter disdain for the American jury system. The Republican Party’s proposal, which it calls The Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility, and Empowerment Act, states in Title 4:… Read More
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Hey, Where Did My Hospital Go?
You may have noticed that your local, independent hospital has either been taken over by a larger, regional health care system or has closed its doors altogether. The consolidation of hospitals in the United States is expected to increase in the coming years, especially… Read More
