From Kraft Heinz employees suing Aetna for alleged claims data mismanagement, to the Supreme Court upholding a decision to dismiss a whistleblower lawsuit against a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary, here are seven lawsuits and settlement involving payers Becker's has reported since June 7:
1. A Kraft Heinz Co. employee benefits group representing employees, retirees and their dependents is suing Aetna for allegedly breaching its fiduciary duties and using its role as third-party claims administrator "to enrich itself to Kraft Heinz's detriment."
2. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is suing a specialty care management company in Texas for using a logo it says infringes upon and dilutes the BCBS brand.
3. Clover Health reached settlement agreements in seven derivative lawsuits, resolving all remaining civil litigation that accused the company of misleading investors and committing securities fraud preceding its initial public offering in 2021.
4. CVS Health and former Cigna executive Amy Bricker are appealing a St. Louis federal judge's decision to grant a preliminary injunction barring her from working for CVS while a lawsuit over her noncompete clause moves forward.
5. The Supreme Court upheld the Justice Department's decision to dismiss a whistleblower lawsuit alleging a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary overcharged Medicare. In an 8-1 ruling, the court ruled the Justice Department has the authority to dismiss False Claims Act lawsuits brought on behalf of the government by whistleblowers.
6. Friday Health Plans, which is going out of business, is being sued by co-founder and former COO David Pinkert for allegedly refusing to pay his severance package after he was terminated earlier this year.
7. A federal judge in North Carolina certified class-action status in a lawsuit alleging Aetna and OptumHealth Care Solutions conspired to use "dummy code" to make administrative fees appear to be billable medical charges.