July 18, 2011
J.K. WallAn estimated 1.1 million Hoosiers will obtain health insurance through a yet-to-be-created online exchange, according to the
latest estimates from the task force guiding Indiana’s response to the 2010 health reform law.
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July 18, 2011
J.K. WallDon’t expect the health reform law to tame health care costs. That’s the conclusion of the director of the Congressional
Budget Office, who also suggested some of the simplest ways to moderate costs would be to roll back some of its key provisions.
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July 16, 2011
J.K. WallSizable Indianapolis companies like the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, consumer-ratings service Angie’s List, Marsh and
Wilhelm Construction have switched to consumer-directed health plans. There’s some evidence nationally that the trend
is set to accelerate.
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July 11, 2011
J.K. WallHealth care reform will add roughly 500,000 Hoosiers to the Medicaid program and, in spite of great criticism of that expansion,
a new study suggests Medicaid coverage does help consumers get more care, have fewer unpaid bills and feel better.
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July 9, 2011
J.K. WallCompanies that drop insurance coverage could, without spending any more money than they are now, give workers an 11-percent
raise or else help them save as much as $2,000 per year buying health coverage in one of the exchanges, IBJ calculations
show.
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July 9, 2011
Don Stumpp / Special to IBJThe fact is that hospitals are paid three to four times for physician ancillary services.
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May 31, 2011
J.K. WallOnly 19 of the 63 companies writing individual health insurance policies in Indiana have been meeting the new 80-percent medical-loss
threshold of the health care reform law, potentially triggering a refund for customers.
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May 20, 2011
Bloomberg NewsU.S. insurers led by WellPoint Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Inc. failed to get federal regulators to change a rule in the 2010
health-care overhaul that triggers a review of any premium increases exceeding 10 percent.
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May 14, 2011
J.K. WallHealth reform could accelerate trend toward two tiers of care, with concierge services like Dr. Matt Priddy offers at the
top and long waits and minimal attention at the bottom.
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May 14, 2011
The problem is, too many people make unhealthy choices and the consequences of these choices become everyone’s problem.
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May 7, 2011
Greg AndrewsThe ultimate test of whether buybacks are good deals for shareholders hinges on whether the price paid for the stock proves
over time to have been a bargain or inflated.
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April 25, 2011
J.K. WallAnthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s vision for accountable care organizations foresees doctors and hospitals shifting
to global capitation payments and employers getting bigger discounts if they allow their workers access only to health care
providers in a specific organization.
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March 30, 2011
J.K. WallHealth reform will make health insurance a less-profitable business, but WellPoint Inc. got a vote of confidence from bond
analysts because health-reform rules have turned out milder than expected and WellPoint’s financial performance has
been particularly strong as the economy recovers.
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March 30, 2011
J.K. WallSusan Rider is an employee-benefits account manager at Indianapolis-based Gregory & Appel Insurance. On July 1, she will
become president of the Indiana State Association of Health Underwriters. She spoke about the first-year impact of the 2010
health reform law and further changes to come.
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March 26, 2011
Greg AndrewsPremiums for private health insurers in China are expected to rise to $90 billion by 2020 from $9 billion now, and WellPoint
Inc. is angling for a big piece of that pie.
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March 23, 2011
J.K. WallIn the face of new health reform restrictions, expect more small employers to opt for self-funded health benefits, concludes
a report this week from Indianapolis-based United Benefit Advisors.
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March 19, 2011
J.K. WallIndiana University Health is the latest system to drill employees ranging from clerks to physicians in how to treat patients.
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March 9, 2011
J.K. WallThink galloping health insurance costs are a problem unique to American employers? Think again. Medical costs paid by employer-focused
health insurers rose by an average of 10 percent last year—identical to the United States.
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March 2, 2011
J.K. WallOver the next five years, WellPoint Inc. expects the employer-sponsored insurance business to shrink slightly, forcing it
to shift its focus to government-sponsored plans.
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February 12, 2011
J.K. WallThe president of the Indiana Primary Health Care Association wants to double the number of federally qualified community health
centers in Indiana in the next five years.
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February 9, 2011
J.K. WallBoy does Gov. Mitch Daniels have an ultimatum for President Obama: Wave off the health reform law or else I’ll do nothing
to help while it wreaks havoc on Hoosier citizens.
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February 5, 2011
J.K. WallHealth insurance brokers, who match up employers with health insurance policies, are about to have a brighter light shone
on the commissions they earn from insurers. The likely result: Commissions will fall or flatline and, eventually, fall away
in favor of fee-based business models.
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February 2, 2011
J.K. WallAfter a federal judge in Florida struck down the entire health reform law, investors shrugged. But the uncertainty for executives
in health care companies increased.
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January 31, 2011
Bloomberg NewsTop executives from WellPoint Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Inc. are meeting almost monthly with their counterparts from Aetna
Inc., Cigna Corp. and Humana Inc. in an informal lobbying alliance aimed at blunting parts of the health-care law, say sources
with knowledge of the sessions.
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January 26, 2011
J.K. WallChris Sears is a health care and employee-benefits attorney at Ice Miller LLP in Indianapolis. He spoke about
how employers are sizing up health insurance reforms that hit in 2014, which would set up government-subsidized insurance
as a new option for workers but also would penalize most employers if they stop sponsoring employee health benefits.
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You guys have some "interesting" comments to say the least. I hope you will call in and share those opinions starting June 1. I'm looking forward to having you on the air.
For those who let this information strike a nerve, remember that this is still the America that allows the freedom to achieve dreams and goals. Should you really chastise those who are given a perk on a deal that is supported by the consumer (that is until they don't like the deal anymore due to envy) or should the dream of rewards for working be looked at a little closer? I say lets stick to the deal, go to work,earn our keep, shoot for dreams, change our jobs to have that dream or shut up about others achievements ..............while we are still afforded this liberty of America !
Three Magi
Cats out of the bag. The object of the game is to get acquired. That means the company has no idea how to grow beyond a certain point. Email is a 1990s technology. I have laughed at this company since day one. Such a small bit player. If it was anywhere but here, it wouldn't be newsworthy.
Esther, Indy has passed Chicago in the local government corruption arena. Don't downgrade us. We're No. 1 in the Midwest.