Current lawsuits against University of Pennsylvania Health System reportedly include a $44.1 million award to a plaintiff.
In the past couple of months, the University of Pennsylvania Health System has been the object of three separate lawsuits.
In April, Philadelphia Business Journal reported that Andrea Tate had been awarded $44.1 million as a result of suffering a brain hemorrhage while being treated for a benign brain tumor at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.The hemorrhage caused Tate to become "significantly paralyzed."
According to the article, the hospital was found "65 percent liable and the attending doctor 35 percent liable for failing to recognize Andrea Tate's reaction to heparin, an anticoagulant medication."
After the verdict, the Health System issued a statement, saying, “We are disappointed in today’s verdict and continue to believe that appropriate care was provided. We plan to appeal this unfortunate decision.”
On April 1, Health System employees Crystal Holley, Adrianne Corbin, April Smalls and Adam Norris filed a complaint on behalf of their colleagues, alleging that Penn had violated wage laws by failing to properly compensate them for working overtime, according to an article by the Pennsylvania Record.
The plaintiffs claim that they received an email in May 2013 that stated they would not be compensated for overtime hours worked during the holidays.
They also claimed that the Health System "exerted pressure on the plaintiffs and even threatened them with discipline, which caused fear among the employees," according the the Penn Record article.
On May 6, the United States reached a settlement agreement with the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, including the Health System, for the alleged submission of false home health care billing to Medicare.
The settlement includes $75,787 to resolve the allegations that Penn Care at Home violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicare for services not rendered and for services that were not reasonable or mandatory.
The Health System also agreed to develop new compliance oversight measures and annually submit certified compliance reports on its home health information to the U.S. Attorneys Office through 2019.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.