Struggling local insurer to close its doors after big losses
Indy-based Advantage Health Solutions, which recently racked up huge losses and laid off dozens of workers earlier this year, said Thursday it is shutting down its last line of business.
Health Care & Insurance
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Feds rip Anthem’s service, warn of price increases in antitrust suit
Anthem Inc.’s proposed purchase of Cigna Corp. would diminish competition between insurers in markets around the nation, according to a complaint filed Thursday by the U.S. Justice Department that painted Anthem in an unflattering light.
Feds sue Anthem, Cigna to block $48B merger
The U.S. Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Indy-based Anthem Inc. and Cigna Corp. on Thursday. In recent years, the department has shown an increasing willingness to go to court to block deals it believes could stifle competition.
Insurance commissioner says she has no conflict in merger
Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Katharine Wade contends she has no conflict of interest that would prevent her from overseeing a proposed merger between Indianapolis-based Anthem Inc. and Bloomfield, Connecticut-based Cigna Corp.
Company plans 4 ‘micro-hospitals’ in competitive local market
A Texas company that plans to build four “micro-hospitals” in central Indiana could face intense competition for patients, some hospital experts predict.
U.S. preparing lawsuits against Anthem, Aetna deals, sources say
U.S. antitrust officials are poised to file lawsuits to block Anthem Inc.’s takeover of rival health-insurer Cigna Corp. and Aetna Inc.’s deal to buy Humana Inc., according to a person familiar with the matter.
Drug company plans $55M Whitestown distribution center
AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. plans to have 120 full-time employees at the facility by the end of next year.
Big savings for St. Vincent in first year of accountable care effort
The Indianapolis hospital group and its Tennessee partner were able to reduce emergency room visits, inpatient admissions and readmissions, and increase the percentage of generic drugs under a new model of care.
Top U.S. health official emphasizes need for insurer competition
The Obama administration’s top health official is promoting the importance of competition to insurance markets, as the Justice Department is poised to decide on the massive Anthem-Cigna and Aetna-Humana merger proposals.
Planned Parenthood cites business decline for clinic closures
Patient visits are falling sharply at Planned Parenthood clinics in Indiana, due to more options for women’s services and less frequent need for Pap tests, prompting the organization’s decision to close six health centers in the state.
Planned Parenthood closing 6 Indiana health centers
Among the closures will be Planned Parenthood centers in Fishers and Avon.
Anthem, Express Scripts dispute comes down to pricing
The agreement by Indianapolis-based Anthem Inc. to sell its pharmacy-benefits arm to St. Louis-based Express Scripts for $4.7 billion has turned the companies at each other’s throats, culminating in a multibillion-dollar legal battle that began early this year.
Orthopedics clinic proposes $13M investment to start medical campus in Fishers
The development, known as MedTech Park, would encompass 37 acres to the east of St. Vincent’s Hospital along 136th Street and Interstate 69.
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.
IU School of Medicine gets $2M gift to fund new faculty member
The Indiana University School of Medicine got the donation from the children of Indianapolis real estate developer Sidney Eskenazi. The endowed fund will be used to recruit a cancer researcher to Simon Cancer Center.
Next president should attack drug prices, Obama says in medical journal
President Barack Obama has written a game plan on health care for the next president, including a crackdown on prescription drug prices that may cut pharmaceutical manufacturers’ profits if adopted.
More buildings set to fall on IUPUI campus
The planned demolitions of the old IUPUI Psychiatric Research Building and the Wishard Helipad site are the next projects sparked by the land swap between IUPUI and Eskenazi Health’s parent.
State, feds battle over review of HIP 2.0
As Indiana’s expansion of the federal Medicaid program enters its second year, the Pence administration is brawling with federal officials, who want to conduct an evaluation of it.
E-liquid maker withdraws application after security firm questioned
Cali Co-Packing LLC told IBJ that it has decided to withdraw its application from the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission following media reports that the company’s chosen security firm didn’t appear to meet a new state law’s stringent requirements.
GOP takes aim at Gregg over legislative health care perk
Indiana Republicans are criticizing Democratic gubernatorial nominee John Gregg for a lucrative perk he helped institute for members of the General Assembly when he was speaker of the House.