June 1, 2013
J.K. WallIndianapolis-area hospitals are undergoing such profound and permanent changes that some predict, eventually the four major
hospital systems will merge and shrink down to two.
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May 25, 2013
J.K. WallJoe Swedish, a career hospital executive, is now two months into his job at the helm of Indianapolis-based WellPoint, the
nation’s second-largest health insurer. In his first interview since starting work, Swedish indicated he’s taking
his time to learn the people and the culture of the vast organization he now leads.
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May 20, 2013
J.K. WallWith premiums for health insurance likely to head north next year as President Obama’s health care reform law fully
takes effect, both individuals and employers will pay for more health care out of their own funds and buy less insurance.
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May 13, 2013
Rather than raising prices on private health insurers to make up for inadequate payments from the government, hospitals across
the country have been raising prices just because they can, according to a new study.
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April 6, 2013
J.K. WallBrian and Emily Kahn had virtually identical physical therapy. He paid much more than she did. Why? Because of where the therapy
took place.
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April 6, 2013
J.K. WallEven though Obamacare likely will expand health insurance coverage to an extra 500,000 Hoosiers over the next few years, IU
Health expects per-patient reimbursements to fall as the federal government, employers and patients all push back on sky-high
health care costs.
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April 6, 2013
Bob McDonaldThe statistics we hear so often are clear. As a community, we are not in an enviable place. We smoke more, exercise less and
weigh more than the national average, resulting in more diabetes than average.
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April 1, 2013
J.K. WallIndiana’s laws requiring hospitals to release price information are woefully inadequate, according to a report by two
health insurance reform groups. Indiana was among 29 states to receive an "F" grade.
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March 4, 2013
J.K. WallThe Indiana Senate voted unanimously last week to require the Indiana Medicaid program to pay home health agencies, rural
health clinics and federally qualified health centers for doing medical consultations, diagnoses and monitoring using videoconferencing,
telephones or computers.
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March 1, 2013
J.K. WallThe sequestration plan kicking in Friday will chop Medicare payments to hospitals, doctors and nursing homes by 2 percent,
beginning April 1. One study estimates that the cuts could result in 10,000-plus job losses in Indiana alone.
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February 24, 2013
Associated PressThe cost of health care for an additional 400,000 low income residents is something nobody in the Indiana Statehouse seems
to be able to agree upon this year, even as the crucial decision about whether to expand Medicaid bears down on lawmakers
midway through their annual session.
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February 13, 2013
J.K. WallThe Indianapolis-based health insurer saw its stock tumble as much as 4.8 percent Wednesday morning after it unexpectedly
named career hospital executive Joe Swedish to be its next CEO.
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February 11, 2013
J.K. Wall
Don Kelso is executive director of the Indiana Rural Health Association. The trade group is trying to help
its members navigate the changes coming from health care reform and the financial pressures being created by federal budget
cuts. The association recently launched a service for its members called SuiteStats, which is data-management software to
help hospital executives identify areas ripe for cost-cutting.
February 11, 2013
J.K. Wall
Up until now, Gov. Mike Pence and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature have been playing a game of poker with the Obama
administration over a potential expansion of Indiana’s Medicaid program. But all of a sudden, Indiana’s hand just
got quite a bit weaker.
February 4, 2013
J.K. WallIn the era of health care reform, hospitals will face two new challenges: They will need to run higher-volume, lower-margin
businesses, and they’ll be on the hook financially for what patients do even when they’re not receiving health
care. Community Health Network’s new partnership with Walgreens’ Take Care Clinics is designed to help address
both issues.
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January 19, 2013
Scott OlsonA portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requiring companies in 2014 to begin offering health insurance
to more workers is causing a lot of anxiety.
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January 14, 2013
J.K. WallSince 2009, Indianapolis-based Anthem has doled out $14.5 million in bonuses to physicians based on their scores in quality
reports generated by Quality Health First.
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January 14, 2013
J.K. WallFranciscan St. Francis Health and American Health Network continue to get deeper into the accountable care organization concept
being promoted by the federal Medicare program under the 2010 health reform law.
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January 7, 2013
J.K. WallLast week’s fiscal cliff bargain in Congress dealt a potentially fatal blow to a new health insurance plan, called Remedy
Indiana, that was set to launch this year.
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December 17, 2012
J.K. Wall
Chicago-based OkCopay Inc. posts prices offered by Indianapolis health care providers, many of which have agreed to give
cash-paying patients a price roughly equivalent to those charged to insured customers. The site also includes pricing information
from health care providers that do not give cash-paying patients an additional break.
December 3, 2012
J.K. WallEven as the rising cost of medical benefits has moderated, 11 percent of Indiana employers with 10 or more workers say they
will terminate their medical coverage within the next five years, according to the latest survey from the benefits consulting
firm Mercer.
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November 26, 2012
J.K. Wall
A new set of projections released Monday estimates that expanding Medicaid coverage as called for in President Obama’s
2010 health reform law would cost the state government less than $54 million per year on average over the next decade—far
lower than projections issued by the actuarial firm hired by Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels’ administration.
November 26, 2012
J.K. WallIU Health and Community enjoyed net gains of $267 million and $23 million, respectively, from the hospital assessment fee
program during the fiscal year ended June 30.
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November 24, 2012
J.K. WallSkyrocketing health care costs prompt search for new ways to improve lifestyle choices.
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November 5, 2012
J.K. WallA new agreement in Wisconsin provides a glimpse of the kind of “narrow network” arrangements that Indianapolis-based
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield might attempt in Indiana.
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These higher rates Co. e about only because physicians are now hospital employees. otherwise physicians couldn't charge these rates and share the windfall with the hospital. Community/rural hospitals probably not buying physicians practices and thus weren't getting the windfall anyway.
The incentive for poor people to get themselves off public assistance and "no longer be poor" is even with help...they're STILL POOR! Being poor, even with some assistance, isn't all that pleasant. (I speak from experience) It's a stubborn myth that poor people, who are on public assistance, are sitting in the lap of luxury. You should try living on just those "freebies" that you mentioned and see how meager they actually are. By the way, I didn't mean you had to buy/own a puppy...just pet one. :)
As near as I can tell the minority has ZERO constitutional obligation to offer a quorum to the majority. A requirement for quorum was inserted into the constitution so that tyrannical majorities could not simply shove through odious and objectionable legislation (which is exactly what they did.) By allowing a tyrannical majority to charge fines against the minority for exercising their constitutional prerogative to deny quorum the court as made a mockery of constitutional governance in the state of Indiana.
The voters elected the Reps to make a vote not walk out on the vote. They had to the right to exercise their opinion and vote "no" to the bill. Let me ask you this if you walked out of your job for 5 straight weeks would you get paid? Would you even have a job to go back to? If any elected official walks out on the people they should be arrested for stealing tax dollars from the public. They were elected to do a job and not leave when the job gets stuff.
I have been to several of their locations in Pennsylvania and always go in for 1 item and leave with a basket full of things. I'm very happy they decided on Indiana, now if only they would put the other store in eastside.