Life is hectic, we know, so here’s a recap of the Healthcare Weekly Hot Topics you can’t afford to miss:
- Ransomware Attack Locks Providers Out of EHR Database. Becker’s Hospital Review. September 30, 2019.
Hospital officials discovered that a database storing EHRs had been locked as the result of ransomware. The ransomware attack specifically targeted the hospital’s orthopedic clinic.
2) 9 Physicians Charged in $2.1 Billion Healthcare Fraud Scheme. Becker’s Hospital Review. October 1, 2019.
The defendants allegedly submitted more than $2.1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare. According to federal prosecutors, the laboratories paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to medical professionals working with fraudulent telemedicine companies to refer Medicare beneficiaries for cancer genetic tests that weren’t medically necessary.
3) Alabama Hospital System Stops Admissions After Malware Attack. The News & Observer. October 1, 2019.
A hospital system in rural Alabama stopped accepting new patients after a ransomware attack crippled its computer system.
4) Novartis Partners with Microsoft to Use Artificial Intelligence in Drug Development. Stat News. October 1, 2019.
Novartis and Microsoft have entered into a five-year deal to use artificial intelligence to design molecules, personalize medication dosing, and optimize the manufacturing of CAR-T cancer therapy.
5) Johnson & Johnson Settle Opioid Case for $20 Million. NPR. October 2, 2019.
In a deal that must be approved by a federal judge, Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay the counties in Ohio a total of $10 million and to reimburse them for $5 million in legal fees. An additional $5.4 million would go toward programs to fight opioid addiction in the two counties.
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