Anthem 3Q profit jumps 23%, helped by enrollment gains
The Indianapolis-based insurer raised its 2019 forecast after attracting more customers covered by Medicare Advantage and Medicaid.
Health Care & Insurance
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In surprise turnaround, new analysis finds Alzheimer’s treatment might work
Seven months after clinical trials for a promising Alzheimer’s drug were halted and the treatment was declared a failure, a new analysis suggests it was actually effective, and the company that makes it plans to move forward in securing federal approval.
More choices, stable premiums expected for Obamacare next year
Nationally, consumers will have more health insurance choices next year under Obamacare, and premiums will dip slightly for many customers. In Indiana, however, premiums are expected to rise more than 10 percent.
Nation’s top drug distributors reach $260M deal to settle opioids lawsuit
The settlement means a high-profile trial in Ohio will not move forward, but it does not resolve more than 2,600 other lawsuits across the country seeking to hold the drug industry accountable for a crisis that has been linked to more than 400,000 U.S. deaths since 2000.
Indiana to share in J&J’s $117M settlement over pelvic mesh devices
Johnson & Johnson has agreed to a $117 million multistate settlement over allegations it deceptively marketed its pelvic mesh products, which support women’s sagging pelvic organs.
Opioid settlement talks broaden ahead of first federal trial
Outlines of a settlement call for $22 billion in cash over time plus up to $15 billion worth of overdose antidotes and treatment drugs, with distribution of those drugs valued at another $14 billion.
Lilly experimental drug fails in late-stage trial for pancreatic cancer
The drug, called pegilodecakin, had been seen as a promising treatment for one of the deadliest types of cancer, and was the lead product in Lilly’s $1.6 billion acquisition of Armo BioSciences last year.
Tax vaping, tobacco products to curb youth smoking, committee told
The Interim Study Committee on Fiscal Policy heard more than two hours of testimony about vaping and tobacco use on Tuesday.
Surgical transplant firm sets up logistics center in Plainfield, plans to hire 127
The Virginia-based firm said Tuesday it has invested $18 million to set up a 70,000-square-foot biologics logistics center near the Indianapolis International Airport. It is currently hiring managers and technicians.
New scientific study reveals more about the power of snot
Mucus may be gross, but we produce a lot of it. And new research is uncovering just how beneficial it is in the human body.
Overhaul proposed for decades-old Medicare fraud rules
The regulations are now seen as an obstacle to progress because Medicare has put a premium on coordination among care providers. The complex requirements of the original rules can have a chilling effect on hospitals and doctors working together, officials say.
Two-block office project by Methodist finally moving forward
The 4.5-acre site catty-corner to the downtown hospital complex is earmarked for a 250,000-square-foot office building and seven-level parking structure, to be connected by a skybridge. It also would include a grocery store.
Surprise! Your anesthesiologist was out of network. Now you owe big.
Every day, thousands of Americans get a surprise bill in the mail from a health provider, asking for thousands of dollars for medical services that weren’t covered by the patient’s insurance.
Panelists discuss health care costs, vaping, doctor burnout
Vaping has grown into full-blown health crisis in Indiana, panelists said at an IBJ health care event.
R. Matthew Neff: Bankruptcy court will bring order to opioid liability
The recent lawsuits against manufacturers of opioids (including Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, Mallinckrodt and others) bear a striking similarity to lawsuits against the tobacco companies a few years ago.
IU School of Medicine lands $36M grant to develop Alzheimer’s disease treatments
The grant, to be paid over five years, will help the IU School of Medicine launch a drug discovery center as part of a strategic partnership with the Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery at Purdue University.
Elanco to reduce global workforce by 4.3%
The company is eliminating 250 jobs as part of a restructuring that’s expected to result in at least $12 million in savings in 2020.
Experts say CIB is thin on liability coverage for event venues
The board carries $56 million in liability insurance for its facilities, including a $1 million general liability policy and a $55 million umbrella policy.
GM reverses course, says strikers will keep health coverage
General Motors now says striking workers will get company-paid health insurance, nine days after telling the union that coverage would be cut off.
Vaping has grown into full-blown health crisis in Indiana, panel says
Indiana health officials are investigating 30 cases of severe lung injury linked to vaping. Eight of those have been confirmed—most of them among individuals between the ages of 16 and 29. Earlier this month, the state confirmed the first death linked to vaping.