Under fire, maker of EpiPen launching cheaper, generic version
Mylan will start selling a cheaper version of the emergency allergy treatment after absorbing waves of criticism over a growing list price that made it unaffordable for many patients.
Health Care Costs
Articles
New peak for U.S. health care spending: $10,345 per person
The report from number crunchers at the Department of Health and Human Services projects that health care spending will grow at a faster rate than the national economy over the coming decade.
Medicaid cuts spell trouble for home health firms
The state’s Family and Social Services Administration is set to cut home health care Medicaid reimbursements for licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, aides, therapists and pathologists.
Hospitals try to cut readmissions, avoid steep federal penalties
Across Indiana, 64 hospitals are facing total federal penalties this year estimated at $9.3 million, according to the Indiana Hospital Association. Nationally, hospitals will pay an estimated $420 million.
Anthem slaps lawsuit on Express Scripts over drug pricing
The insurer’s CEO said in January that Anthem should be reaping an addition $3 billion per year in savings on drugs from Express Scripts, which manages its pharmacy benefits.
A new partnership rings up big savings for Anthem, Franciscan
Under the deal, Franciscan was financially accountable for what it would spend on care for about 60,000 patients who had Anthem benefits provided by its employers or purchased individually. Would it work?
Closing in on a Brownsburg site for Hendricks Regional’s $40M facility
The health system hopes to build its new ER and outpatient clinic on undeveloped farmland off of Interstate 74, near Ronald Reagan Parkway
Teen births fall in Indiana, nation
Teen births have fallen to a record low in the United States and dropped sharply in Indiana too, a development that could save taxpayers millions of dollars in public health services and other assistance.
Once debt-laden, IU Health’s finances in tip-top shape
When CEO Dan Evans relinquishes the reins of Indiana University Health in April, he will hand his successor Dennis Murphy a hospital system with a pristine balance sheet. That’s a big change for IU Health, which when the Great Recession hit was debt-laden and cash-strapped.
There is too much money in unhealthy behavior
I spell out the top 5 reasons, starting with Hoosiers’ poor health, why health care in Indiana is even more messed up than it is around the rest of the country.
Indy firm hits growth stride with benefits software
Indianapolis-based Healthiest Employer LLC expects its Springbuk software for managing wellness programs to triple its clients, revenue and employees this year.
First-of-a-kind drug approvals continued rise in 2015
The rising figures reflect an industry-wide focus on drugs for rare and hard-to-treat diseases, which often come with streamlined reviews, extra patent protections and higher price tags.
Moms in Indy pay 50 percent more for C-sections than in Manhattan
Despite its low cost of living, Indianapolis is among the highest-priced areas for hospital services for patients with private health insurance—and is far more costly than Boston, Chicago, Manhattan and Los Angeles, according to a new study.
Nursing homes work to ‘rebalance’ Medicaid spending without managed care
State government has long wanted to shift spending on long-term care from nursing homes to home- and community-based care. Now Gov. Mike Pence’s administration is working with nursing homes to make that happen.
Obamacare is growing employer health benefits, not just killing them
Even though some Indianapolis-area employers are dropping their group health plans, others are adding them. Overall, more workers are being offered health insurance by their employers under Obamacare than before the law took effect.
Despite stronger economy, insurers keep up pressure on hospitals, doctors
Anthem touts program saving $9.51 per patient per month—but passes on less than half the savings to hospitals and doctors.
Midwest employers are actually spending less on health benefits
New data show that employers trying to duck the Obamacare Cadillac tax and turn their workers into healthier consumers are starting to actually reduce the amount of money per worker they are spending on health benefits.
Indy lawyers lead D.C. coalition chipping away at health care regulations
With regulations on the rise and 25 percent of health care spending going toward administration, lawyers at Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman are taking aim at some of the most pain-inducing pieces of federal anti-kickback statutes.
Advantage CEO exits after un-reported losses come to light
Vicki Perry, the longtime CEO of Advantage Health Solutions Inc., has been replaced after a financial review found “significant un-reported losses” at the Indianapolis-based health insurer.
Covering the uninsured brings only a small benefit for the insured
Hospitals have long argued that they pass on the cost of the uninsured to private insurance customers. But a new study shows that’s less than half-true.