Obamacare benefiting both hospitals and insurers—for now
Early third-quarter numbers suggest that Obamacare, combined with the lingering effects of the Great Recession, is giving an unusual lift to both hospitals and insurers.
Health Care & Insurance
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Thousands affected by Medicaid eligibility change
A change in how eligibility for Medicaid is determined could save Indiana $26 million this fiscal year by pushing thousands of residents off coverage but providing first-time benefits to even more at lower costs.
State settles with drug maker over Medicaid fraud charges
The Indiana attorney general’s office has recovered more than $181,000 for the state Medicaid program by joining with other states and the federal government in a fraud settlement.
Eli Lilly to sell Puerto Rico manufacturing facility
The Indianapolis company said it is closing its Guayama facility because the patents on some of the drugs made there have expired.
Health clinic operator plans HQ expansion, 203 new jobs
Activate Healthcare LLC, an Indianapolis-based workplace health clinic operator, plans to expand its local operations, adding as many as 203 employees over the next nine years, state economic development officials announced Friday morning.
Hospital market shares shift
Community Health Network claimed 23.1 percent of the central Indiana market inpatient market last year, up from 21.5 percent the year before, while Indiana University Health saw its share of the inpatient market decline from 28.8 percent in 2012 to 27.8 percent last year.
Hospitals in quest to shrink emergency room visits
Hospitals around the state have been trying to cut emergency room visits—and Obamacare was supposed to help. But the results have been mixed, according to some local hospitals.
While Pence and Obama dance, these folks are waiting
The Hoosiers waiting for Gov. Mike Pence and President Obama to work out a deal to expand health coverage have median household incomes of less than $10,000, typically have no college education and are disproportionately minorities.
Pence names Adams Indiana’s health commissioner
Gov. Mike Pence has named Indianapolis anesthesiologist Dr. Jerome Adams to be commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health.
Wal-Mart cuts health benefits for most part-timers
Starting Jan. 1, Wal-Mart will no longer offer health insurance to employees who work less than an average of 30 hours a week. The move, which would affect 30,000 employees, follows similar decisions by Target, Home Depot and others.
Pence asks HHS for alternative Medicaid approval
The governor met with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell on Monday in Washington, D.C., but said no deal has been reached yet.
More hospitals hit with do-over penalties
Medicare will reduce payments to 68 Indiana hospitals—a 62-percent increase from last year—for having too many patients return within 30 days.
Lilly partner ordered to pay more than $2M to ex-Actos user
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. was ordered by a jury to pay more than $2 million to a woman who claimed the company’s Actos diabetes medicine caused her bladder cancer, in the latest of thousands of lawsuits involving the drug to go to trial.
Pence seeks meeting with Obama on Medicaid plan
Pence asked Obama for the meeting in a letter Thursday, suggesting it could occur while Obama is in southwestern Indiana on Friday to tour a steel processing company to mark Manufacturing Day.
WellPoint unit, hospital group hit impasse on contract
Contract talks broke down Wednesday between Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and a network of five hospitals and other facilities, leaving tens of thousands of patients facing higher health insurance costs.
Lilly to end development of lupus drug after trial failure
Tabalumab was expected to generate about $250 million to $300 million a year in sales in several years.
Altemeyer: Buildings, facilities play role in fighting ‘superbugs’
Design can help thwart antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Kaelin: Affordable Care Act pushes employers to keep insurance
Health benefits are still demanded by the most-valued workers.
Walker: Still a long way to go to control health care costs
Gains are needed on top of significant streamlining already in place.
Employer clinics are latest health care disruption
The clinics could rearrange the system by forcing price quotes and demanding that providers follow-through.