NBC reported on the 23rd that at least 26 patients who were confined to a mental hospital in Arkansas for no apparent reason sued the doctor who diagnosed them with hospitalization.
Patients who were admitted to the psychiatric ward at Northwest Medical Centre in Arkansas claimed that the hospital’s psychiatrist, Brian Hyatt, issued false medical certificates and forced them into the hospital.
In Arkansas, people with mental illness can be detained against their will for up to 72 hours if a doctor determines they are dangerous to themselves or others. If they want to be detained for longer than this, the hospital must file a petition with the court and obtain permission from a judge.
William Banwai (32), who visited the hospital’s psychiatric unit last year, was diagnosed with a psychiatric hospital without knowing why, and his housemate said that he was released from the hospital after four days with the help of a lawyer.
“We believe the strategy of detaining the patient for as long as possible, claiming the insurance money, letting him go, and then refilling the bed with someone else seems to have worked,” said Aaron Cash, an attorney representing Banwai.
In addition to Banwai, 25 other people filed a lawsuit against Dr Hyatt claiming that they were forced into hospitalization. An investigation by Arkansas prosecutors and federal authorities into Dr Hyatt’s insurance fraud allegations is also ongoing. Earlier, the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, Tim Griffin, accused Dr Hyatt of committing fraud in a search warrant for the hospital, including treating almost no patients, diagnosing all patients with the highest severity, and claiming insurance money from the state and federal governments.
In addition, the Griffin Attorney General’s office announced in a press release in April that the hospital had agreed to return about $1.11 million of 246 Medicaid claims received from the state government. The Attorney General’s office explained that the Medicaid claim at issue was based on documents diagnosed and evaluated by Dr Hyatt and his team of medical staff, and that the documents did not justify or support the medical need for the patient’s hospitalization.
The Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also searched Dr Hyatt’s office in May. However, no criminal charges have been filed against Dr Hyatt.
Dr Hyatt was known as a prominent psychiatrist in the region, such as being appointed as a member of the Arkansas Medical Board in 2019 and elected as the president. In a statement released last month, Dr Hyatt’s legal team said, “Dr Hyatt has been the target of a malicious and systematic attack despite his career as an accomplished clinician. He continues to maintain his innocence.”