Senators say they have outline of health insurance deal
Two leading senators said Tuesday they have the “basic outlines” of a bipartisan agreement to resume federal payments to health insurers that President Donald Trump has blocked.
Health Care & Insurance
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Obamacare insurers, states rush to react to Trump’s latest move
Indianapolis-based Anthem Inc. declined to say Friday whether it would retreat even further from Obamacare than it already has in recent months.
Trump moving ‘step by step’ to take apart Obamacare on his own
Shares of publicly traded hospital chains including Tenet Healthcare Corp. slumped on Friday, as did insurers such as Centene Corp. and Anthem Inc.
Trump to halt Obamacare subsidies to health insurers
The president’s action is likely to trigger a lawsuit from state attorneys general, who contend the subsidies to insurers are fully authorized by federal law, and the president’s position is reckless.
Trump signs order to expand lower-cost, lower-benefit plans
Frustrated over setbacks in Congress, President Donald Trump wielded his rule-making power Thursday to launch an executive order that might get him closer to his goal of repealing and replacing Obamacare.
Express Scripts to buy medical test gatekeeper for $3.6B
The deal comes as Express Scripts faces challenges on a number of fronts, including the possible loss of its largest customer, Indianapolis-based health-insurance giant Anthem Inc.
IU announces $50M plan to tackle growing opioid epidemic
The university will hire 10 faculty members and team with the state and major health systems on what it calls a comprehensive plan to understand and deal with addictions, which are costing Indiana more than $1 billion a year.
Legal fight looms over California’s new drug pricing law
California has passed a law requiring pharmaceutical companies to explain their price increases, escalating the state-by-state battle between lawmakers trying to bring more transparency to the industry’s practices and drugmakers that oppose the efforts.
White House to order health care insurance alternatives
The White House is finalizing an executive order that would expand health plans offered by associations to allow individuals to pool together and buy insurance outside their states.
Zionsville pharmacist who put himself in feds’ sights admits to felonies
Harry Zhang pleaded guilty to two felonies this month after charged with illegally obtaining prescriptions from Canada and Germany and reselling them in China.
FDA approving drugs at accelerated pace
Thirty-four new drugs—treating everything from cancer to rare genetic diseases—have been approved so far this year. That’s on pace to nearly double last year’s approvals.
Trendy high-deductible health insurance plans lead patients to skip care
High-deductible health plans are booming in popularity, but, in an effort to save money, too many people are skipping preventive care even though such visits are covered 100 percent.
UPDATE: Indianapolis preparing to sue opioid makers, distributors
The city of Indianapolis plans to file a “robust lawsuit” against several drug companies, Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Thursday morning.
FDA acts to encourage generic competition for complex drugs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is opening a new front in its efforts to reduce high drug prices by encouraging development of generic versions of hard-to-make medicines.
Trump may choose Pence ally Verma to replace ousted Price
Mentioned as a possible permanent successor to ousted health secretary Tom Price is former Indiana health care policy consultant Seema Verma, a protege of Vice President Mike Pence.
Struggling Endocyte spending millions for rights to prostate-cancer drug
After struggling for more than 20 years to develop cancer drugs without success, West Lafayette-based Endocyte Inc. is pausing it own R&D efforts to concentrate on a potential blockbuster drug from a German chemical company.
Lilly names new CFO, head of R&D
The appointments mark the latest changes in the Indianapolis-based drugmaker’s executive suite since David Ricks took over as CEO in January.
FDA approves Lilly drug for common advanced breast cancer
U.S. regulators have approved a new medicine for treating a common type of breast cancer after it has spread to other parts of the body.
FDA’s consumer protection warnings falling under Trump
From January to July, the agency sent 265 warning letters to companies, notifying them of what it alleged to be serious violations of federal rules. That’s the lowest tally for the first seven months of any year since 2008.
Opioid-abusers on payroll create risks at workplace
Castlight Health, a benefits platform, estimates that opioid abusers cost employers nearly twice as much in health-care expenses as their clean co-workers—an extra $8,600 a year.