From a Massachusetts hospital settling a whistleblower suit relating to overlapping surgeries to a spine device company accused of stealing a rival company's sales team and customers, here are the latest orthopedic lawsuits and settlements making headlines.
1. MassGen pays $14.6M to settle overlapping orthopedic surgeries suitBoston-based Massachusetts General Hospital agreed to pay $14.6 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit that alleged it violated federal regulations when surgeons left procedures to trainees because they were performing multiple cases.
2. Former spine surgeon owes $13M to 2 women over unnecessary proceduresA spine surgeon who previously practiced in Ohio has been ordered to pay nearly $13 million to two women on whom he allegedly performed unnecessary procedures.
3. Ex-NFL player gets 5 years in prison for $2.9M healthcare fraud schemeThe ringleader of a scheme to defraud a healthcare benefit program for retired NFL players was sentenced to five years in prison, the Justice Department said Feb. 9.
4. Oklahoma orthopedic surgeon to pay $340K to settle kickback allegationsAn orthopedic surgeon agreed to pay $342,750 to resolve allegations that he accepted illegal kickbacks from Brookhaven Specialty Pharmacy in Norman, Okla.
5. Medtronic accused of stealing Globus Medical's sales team, customersGlobus Medical accused Medtronic of recruiting its San Antonio sales team to steal customers from the company and strengthen its position in the spine market.
6. Orthopedic surgeon charged in illegal opioid schemeThe Justice Department charged a New Jersey orthopedic surgeon with 34 counts of illegally prescribing controlled substances to patients.