VA EHR Scrutinized After Veteran Deaths, Lawsuit Targets Medication Abortions
Lawmakers are calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to illuminate the conditions behind the death of two veterans in Ohio, and a Texas lawsuit is targeting medication abortions.
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By - Abortion opponents, led by The Alliance for Defending Freedom, which also worked to overturn Roe v. Wade, are now targeting the medications used for ending pregnancies. The lawsuit filed in Texas seeks to reverse approvals for mifepristone and misoprostol. Meanwhile, Republican representatives from the Midwest are asking the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to look into possible EHR issues that may have contributed to the deaths of two veterans in Ohio.
Lawmakers Link Veterans’ Deaths to EHR
Representatives Mike Bost (R-IL), Mike Carey (R-OH), and Troy Balderson (R-OH) are asking the VA to share details behind two recent veteran deaths at a Columbus, Ohio, VA hospital. Both cases indicate that the EHR system is still not functioning properly months after implementation.
"The [medical records project] has been plagued by safety risks and technical problems in addition to exorbitant costs," the representatives wrote in a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough. "These two incidents involved different combinations of system and human error." READ MORE.
HHS, FBI, and CISA Warn About Hive Ransomware
Federal agencies are warning healthcare organizations about Hive ransomware actors who have stolen more than $100 million and victimized at least 1,300 companies as of November 2022. The joint advisory issued by HHS, FBI, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency shared that Hive ransomware actors had infiltrated organizations using single-factor logins via VPNs and RDPs. HHS recommended that organizations prepare for a ransomware event by reviewing their third-party vendors, implementing a recovery plan, and documenting all external communications. READ MORE.
Methodist Hospital Employees Indicted for HIPAA Violations
Last week, a federal grand jury indicted five former Tennessee Methodist Hospital employees for violating HIPAA standards. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, the employees sold patients’ personal information to third parties like personal injury attorneys and chiropractors.
“The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a three-year period of supervised release,” the US Attorney’s Office stated. READ MORE.
Audits Reveal Millions in Medicare Advantage Overpayments
Federal audits revealed by a KHN FOIA request show that Medicare Advantage health plans have overbilled the federal government millions of dollars. Billings from 2011 through 2013 uncovered $12 million in overpayments for the care of 18,090 patients. The audit results indicate that CMS could be missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in overpayments for the totality of its Medicare Advantage members. CMS has planned to recoup overpayments in the past but continues to delay that action. READ MORE.
Lawsuit Targets Medication Abortions
Abortion opponents are challenging medication abortions with a lawsuit that claims the FDA overstepped its authority by approving drugs used to end a pregnancy. The lawsuit filed by the Alliance for Defending Freedom looks to reverse the approval of two drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol. The case will be heard in a federal court in Texas, where abortion is banned. READ MORE.
