medstar patient portal lawsuit

by Lauretta Stokes 6 min read

myMedStar | Your Patient Portal | MedStar Health

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MedStar told her she violated her social media contract as well as patient and employee rights under HIPAA, according to The Washington Post. MedStar also told Ms. Cusick her posts were damaging to the health system's brand, according to the lawsuit.

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myMedStar is a free, secure online patient portal where you can keep track of your health information 24/7. Log in to myMedStar to access the following: Prescriptions. Communications with your provider.

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Who is the owner of MedStar?

President and CEO, MedStar Health Kenneth A. Samet has been MedStar Health's President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since January, 2008.

How do I delete my MedStar account?

However, if you wish to cancel your membership, send an email to mymedstar@medstar.net and advise us that you wish to cancel your membership. Or call myMedStar support toll-free at 877-745-5656 anytime, 24/7.

What EMR system does MedStar use?

Leonardtown, MD – On Wednesday, Jan. 13, MedStar St. Mary's Hospital will join MedConnect, the electronic health record used throughout the MedStar Health system.

Is MedStar only in Maryland?

MedStar Health operates 10 hospitals across Baltimore, central Maryland, Washington, D.C., and southern Maryland. Our facilities offer a full range of healthcare services and are recognized both regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care.

Is MedStar a corporation?

Company Description: MedStar Health is a not-for-profit, regional healthcare system based in Columbia, Maryland, and one of the largest employers in the region.

What is MedStar Health known for?

As the largest healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, MedStar Health's 10 hospitals, the MedStar Health Research Institute and a comprehensive scope of health-related organizations are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care.

What EMR does Georgetown hospital use?

Cerner / MedConnectWhich EHR is used at Georgetown? At MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, where residents spend most of their residency time, our EHR is Cerner / MedConnect for both inpatient and ambulatory programs.

Is MedConnect Cerner?

MedConnect (Cerner): Inpatient and Outpatient EMR (with exception to Lombardi Hem/Onc Outpatient clinics and Perigen in L&D for inpatient)

Is Johns Hopkins part of MedStar?

MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital For more than 30 years, the hospital has been affiliated with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, with special programs in physical and rehabilitation medicine, orthopaedics, and rheumatology.

When did Washington hospital Center Become MedStar?

1999 - On February 1, 1999, Helix/Medlantic is renamed MedStar Health, the parent company of Washington Hospital Center.

Is Howard University a MedStar hospital?

MedSTAR | College of Medicine | Howard University.

When did MedStar receive Medicare payments?

Under the settlement MedStar also agrees to settle allegations that it received Medicare payments from January 1, 2006 through December 28, 2012, for medically unnecessary stents performed by John Wang, M.D., a one-time employee of MACVA who was later employed by MedStar.

Who is the whistleblower in the Union Memorial lawsuit?

The settlement resolves a lawsuit brought by whistleblowers Stephen D. Lincoln , M.D.; Peter Horneffer, M.D.; and Garth McDonald, M.D., cardiac surgeons who practiced together as members of Cardiac Surgery Associates in Baltimore. The lawsuit, which was filed in the District of Maryland in June 2010, alleges that Union Memorial and Franklin Square, and others, violated the Anti-Kickback Act and the False Claims Act by paying various forms of illegal remuneration to MACVA to induce referrals of patients insured by Medicare for cardiac procedures which caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare.

What is a relator in the False Claims Act?

The whistleblowers, or relators, brought their actions under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private citizens with knowledge of false claims against the government to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. Under the civil settlement announced today, the relators will receive a portion of the federal share of the recovery.

When did MedStar receive Medicare payments?

Under the settlement MedStar also agrees to settle allegations that it received Medicare payments from Jan. 1, 2006, through Dec. 28, 2012, for medically unnecessary stents performed by John Wang, M.D., a one-time employee of MACVA who was later employed by MedStar.

Who is the whistleblower in the Union Memorial lawsuit?

The settlement resolves a lawsuit brought by whistleblowers, Stephen D. Lincoln, M.D.; Peter Horneffer, M.D. ; and Garth McDonald, M.D., cardiac surgeons who practiced together as members of Cardiac Surgery Associates in Baltimore. The lawsuit, which was filed in the District of Maryland in June 2010, alleges that Union Memorial and Franklin Square, and others, violated the Anti-Kickback Act and the False Claims Act by paying various forms of illegal remuneration to MACVA to induce referrals of patients insured by Medicare for cardiac procedures which caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare.

What is a relator in the False Claims Act?

The whistleblowers, or relators, brought their actions under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private citizens with knowledge of false claims against the government to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. Under the civil settlement announced today, the relators will receive a portion of the federal share of the recovery.

How much did MedStar pay to the government?

March 29, 2019 - MedStar Health Inc. and two affiliated hospitals recently agreed to pay $35 million to the federal government to resolve healthcare fraud cases that alleged the health system paid kickbacks in exchange for patient referrals.

When did Medstar pay kickbacks?

and Baltimore-based Medstar Union Memorial Hospital and MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center paid kickbacks to MidAtlantic Cardiovascular Associates (MACVA) from January 2006 to July 2011 under the guise of professional agreements.

Who paid the illegal renumeration?

The hospital allegedly paid the illegal renumeration under the direction of R&V Associates and Violi.

How did Wheeling Hospital violate the healthcare fraud law?

According to the Department of Justice, Wheeling Hospital violated the healthcare fraud law by compensating several employee and contracted physicians based on the volume or value of their referrals or the compensation exceeded fair market value for the services.

Does Stark Law prohibit self referral?

In other words, the law forbids hospitals from billing Medicare for services referred by a physician if the physician, or an immediate family member, has a financial relationship with the hospital.

Is Wheeling Hospital in West Virginia a whistleblower?

The federal government recently filed a lawsuit against Wheeling Hospital Inc. in West Virginia after a whistleblower accused the hospital of paying kickbacks and other improper payments to physicians, the Department of Justice reported on March 25, 2019.

Does MedStar Health deny wrongdoing?

In an emailed statement, MedStar Health denied all wrongdoing.

Why was Medstar Health fired?

An employee of Columbia, Md.-based MedStar Health filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the health system, claiming it fired her for tweeting that the hospital where she worked failed to follow CDC guidelines on COVID-19 symptom screening and social distancing.

What did MedStar tell Cusick?

MedStar also told Ms. Cusick her posts were damaging to the health system's brand, according to the lawsuit.

Did MedStar terminate Cusick?

Immediately after she posted the videos, the hospital terminated her employment, the lawsuit states. MedStar told her she violated her social media contract as well as patient and employee rights under HIPAA, according to The Washington Post. MedStar also told Ms. Cusick her posts were damaging to the health system's brand, according to the lawsuit.

What did the Cusick hospital fail to do?

Ms. Cusick said the hospital failed to provide staff with personal protective equipment to screen patients and visitors for COVID-19 symptoms. She said they also failed to reschedule nonemergency appointments and appointments for high-risk patients and to practice social distancing in the hospital's cafeteria. The hospital also didn't adequately train staff on COVID-19 protocols, the lawsuit says.

Does BHC use personal information?

BHC is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, and we’ll only use your personal information to administer your account and to provide the products and services you requested from us. From time to time, we would like to contact you about our products and services, as well as other content that may be of interest to you. If you consent to us contacting you for this purpose, please tick below to say how you would like us to contact you:

What is Medstar Health's policy?

MedStar Health revised its policy to clearly distinguish between “visitors” and “support persons,” who perform specific disability-related functions for patients with disabilities when necessary to have an equal opportunity to obtain and benefit from health care services .

How does OCR work with MedStar?

OCR worked with the complainants and MedStar Health to resolve the issues in their complaints through OCR’s early complaint resolution process and to provide technical assistance on the application of federal disability law requirements. MedStar Health revised its policy to clearly distinguish between “visitors” and “support persons,” who perform specific disability-related functions for patients with disabilities when necessary to have an equal opportunity to obtain and benefit from health care services. MedStar’s policy applies to all its health care locations throughout Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia, encompassing 10 hospitals, 14 urgent care centers, 7 cancer treatment centers and over 100 locations providing services including physical therapy, orthopedics, heart and vascular care.

Why were patients with disabilities denied support persons?

In all three instances, the patients with disabilities alleged that they were denied support persons because of temporary visitor restrictions adopted by MedStar as infection control measures under the COVID-19 public health emergency.

What is OCR in MedStar?

Today, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services announces the resolution of three disability discrimination complaints to ensure that patients with disabilities are allowed access to support persons in MedStar Health hospitals and care locations during the COVID-19 pandemic. A support person may be a family member, personal care assistant, similar disability service provider, or other individual knowledgeable about the management or care of the patient who is authorized to assist the patient in making decisions.

What did the complainants say without their support persons?

Without their support persons, the complainants collectively alleged they were denied effective communication with their treatment teams, denied the ability to make informed decisions and provide consent, and were subjected unnecessarily to physical and pharmacological restraints.

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