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WellPoint Inc. is one of several health insurers weighing bids as high as $2 billion for XLHealth Corp., a provider of managed care for chronically ill Medicare members, according to Bloomberg News. According to unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg, the bids for XLHealth may value the company in a rage from $1.5 billion to $2 billion. A deal may be announced in the coming weeks, Bloomberg reported. Indianapolis-based WellPoint and its peers have made a point of expanding their services to beneficiaries of the federal Medicare program, which is expected to grow rapidly thanks to aging baby boomers. By contrast, WellPoint expects its bread-and-butter employer business to stagnate soon. In June, WellPoint purchased California-based CareMore Health Group, which serves Medicare patients. XLHealth, started in 1997, provides managed care services for Medicare patients with diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions. It has 111,000 members in Medicare products, including the Part D drug plan and the Advantage plan for physician fees and hospital charges.

West Lafayette-based Medtric Biotech LLC won $65,000 in cash and services at the Purdue University Life Sciences Business Plan Competition for its winning presentation on its innovative wound-care technology. Medtric’s technology uses "nanobubbles" in its antimicrobial process for destroying bacteria to help prevent and treat infected wounds. Two other West Lafayette companies—BioRegeneration Technologies and QuantIon Technologies Inc.—placed third and fourth, respectively. The runner-up company was OneBreath, of Palo Alto, Calif., which is developing a simpler platform to provide mechanical ventilation for those with respiratory problems from flu or other trauma.

Indianapolis-based Better Healthcare for Indiana is convening community leaders to improve health and health care in cities around Indiana. The not-for-profit group’s third annual “All Healthcare is Local” conference will take place on Nov. 16 at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. Leaders from Terre Haute, Columbus, Kokomo and Evansville will all give presentations on the efforts in their communities. Keith Reissaus, vice president of community and work force initiatives at Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, will give the lunchtime talk. The keynote speech, titled “Healthy Communities Mean Lower Costs,”  will be delivered by Tyler Norris, president of Community Initiatives Inc. in Boulder, Colo., and a senior adviser to the California-based health insurer and medical provider Kaiser Permanente.

In an early example of enforced rebates, Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc. is one of 11 health insurers ordered by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to refund $114.5 million to policyholders, according to Bloomberg News. That’s because the insurers failed to spend at least 82 cents of each premium dollar on health care as required by the state. A mandate to spend a certain amount on medical care also is a federal requirement under the 2010 U.S. health reform law. WellPoint’s Empire BlueCross BlueShield was ordered to pay $61.1 million, which is the largest rebate demanded from insurers in New York and nearly three times as much as the second-largest rebate. WellPoint’s Empire payments represent about 3 percent of its total premium revenue for insurance products subject to these laws, Kristin Binns, a WellPoint spokeswoman, told Bloomberg. “As in previous years, and consistent with New York law, if the amount Empire pays for medical claims is unexpectedly low, Empire pays refunds to its customers,” she said.

Biomedical research at the Indiana University School of Medicine and its partner hospitals pumped $370 million into Indiana's economy in 2009, according to a new study detailed by the Associated Press. The study by the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates the medical school pumped an estimated $142.5 million into the economy directly through federal and state-funded research. That research generated another $228 million in indirect economic activity. It also estimates the Indianapolis medical school's research supported about 2,470 jobs in Indiana in 2009. The report doesn't include economic activity of businesses that commercialize biomedical discoveries made by IU researchers.

Homeless advocates pitch local sales-tax hike

CHIP, the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention, said it wants Marion County taxpayers to create a permanent, dedicated source of funding for housing and services.

People

Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman PC hired three new associate attorneys in its Indianapolis office. Geoffrey Davis focuses his litigation practice in defending physicians, hospitals and dentists.  He graduated from Butler University in 1999 and earned his law degree from the University of Toledo in 2005. Katie Miller focuses on corporate deals, physician integration and intellectual property issues. She graduated from Purdue University in 2008 and from the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis in 2011. Chad Wilson, a licensed physical therapist, focuses on hospital and physician contracts. He received all his degrees from Indiana University.

Dr. Ryan R. Lacy has established a practice with Martinsville Family & Internal Medicine with St. Francis Medical Group, the second physician in St. Francis’ new Martinsville medical office. Lacy holds a bachelor’s in biology and a master’s in physiology, both from IUPUI. He did his medical training at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Dr. Jeff Sperring, chief medical officer of Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, has been named the hospital’s president and CEO. Riley was left with a sudden leadership vacuum in late spring after CEO Dan Fink resigned, followed three weeks later by the departure of Chief Operating Officer Brett Lee to another hospital. Since then, Riley’s chief nursing officer, Marilyn Cox, has been serving as interim CEO. She will return to her role in nursing administration. Sperring graduated from Emory University in Atlanta and did his medical training at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn.

Teens hit by car recovering

Two teenagers hit by a car Saturday evening in Indianapolis are expected to recover, the families of both victims said. Ram Kahm, 17, and Van Sang, 18, were crossing Madison Avenue about 6:15 p.m. when they were struck, police said. Sang suffered head injuries and broken bones. He was upgraded from critical to serious condition after surgery Saturday night. Kahm was released from Wishard Hospital early Sunday after suffering bruises to his head and back. Police said the 70-year-old driver did not see the teens when they ran across the street by Green Tree Apartments in an area with no lights and no crosswalk.
 

New Butler president sworn in

Jim Danko became Butler University’s 21st president when he was sworn in Saturday. Danko founded one of the largest medical equipment companies in the Midwest, before turning his attention to academics. Danko replaces Bobby Fong, who served as president from 2001 to 2011.
 

Deadline arrives for state fair claims

Monday is the last day to file a claim to receive money from the Indiana State Fair Relief Fund. More than $978,000 was donated to the fund, which was established to help victims of the Aug. 14 concert-stage collapse at the fair. The Indiana State Fair Committee said 26 claims have been received and $530,000 has been paid so far. Seven of the payments were made to the estates of those killed in the tragedy. Claims postmarked with Monday’s date will be processed.
 

Supreme Court to hear health care reform case this term

The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear arguments next March over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul — a case that could shake the political landscape just as voters are deciding if Obama deserves another term.

Supremes to decide health reform’s fate

After a year of debate followed by a year-and-a-half of recriminations, the fate of President Obama’s health care reform law will come down to a 4-1/2-hour hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court in the spring.

Ecclestone’s antics should ease pain of Indy’s F1 loss

The way Bernie Ecclestone has treated his new partners in Austin, Texas, recently has to make Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials at least a little happy they no longer do business with the man known as the Poison Dwarf.

Dumping Amylin ups stakes for Lilly

Eli Lilly and Co. divorced one diabetes darling in favor of a new flame last week, but no analysts cheered. And a few booed.

Potential Effient rival shows promise in study

A study showing Johnson & Johnson and Bayer AG’s blood-thinner Xarelto succeeded where rival drugs failed could give the companies entry to a $1 billion-plus market where Eli Lilly already competes.

You-review-it Monday

The talents of Butler students highlighted my weekend. What about yours?