Loveless v. Kaiser Permanente

A Jury awarded Dr. Martinucci $11,441,559 against Southern California Permanente Medical Group and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan. Dr. Martinucci proved that the Defendants’ retaliated against him for attempting to improve patient care through uniform radiology procedures.

A jury found that Kaiser had a conflict of interest when they reported Dr. Strub to the medical board and then concurrently represented him in front of the same medical board resulting in the loss of his license.

(1) There was a lack of timely access to surgery for cancer patients; (2) general surgeons were doing complex cancer cases they were not qualified to perform; (3) there was no comprehensive cancer care program at Kaiser Orange County. In response to his complaints, the jury found that Dr. Wascher was retaliated against and defamed by Kaiser. The jury also found Kaiser guilty of malice, oppression and fraud.