Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital will pay $14.6 million to settle a federal whistleblower lawsuit which alleges that the hospital was fraudulently billing government health insurance agencies for multiple procedures at once. This is the latest of three settlements about this issue since 2019, totaling $32.7 million.
Former Mass General anesthesiologist Lisa Wollman, M.D. reported the activity. Surgeons were double booking surgeries and keeping patients under anesthesia for longer than necessary. The patients were not informed that their surgeons were performing two procedures at the same time. This is a serious concern for patient safety. Dr. Wollman brought a lawsuit under both the Federal and Massachusetts False Claims Acts.
Since these claims were brought, the Massachusetts medical board now requires additional disclosures to patients considering surgery. Lead surgeons must document all times they enter and exit the operating room and must inform patients when they plan to have any overlapping time in another surgery.
Medical malpractice claims for negligence during surgical procedures can be difficult to investigate. The patient often has no knowledge of what happened during surgery, so it takes extra research to uncover the important details. Cases involve careful review by attorneys and experts before a lawsuit can be filed, and additional research and steps once the claim is in suit.
SUGARMAN’s dedicated team of trial attorneys has decades of experience litigating medical malpractice claims and whistleblower claims. If you or someone you know was injured during surgery, or believe you have a whistleblower claim, you may be entitled to compensation. To learn more about your options, speak to a SUGARMAN principal today by calling 617-542-1000 or email us at info@sugarman.com.