2 lawsuits allege unnecessary heart procedures at King's Daughters Medical Center (KY)

Doctors at King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland performed "medically unnecessary and harmful" heart procedures on more than 500 people, two lawsuits filed Tuesday claim. The lawsuits, filed in state court, alleged that doctors at the medical center misrepresented the severity of patients' heart conditions to justify procedures such as installing stents in order to get payments from federal healthcare programs. The lawsuits name the hospital, several medical practices and Richard E. Paulus, a physician for whom the hospital's heart center is named. Paulus reportedly retired last year. The lawsuit said federal authorities are investigating claims of widespread overuse of heart stents at the hospital.