Anti-smoking officials say Indiana funding cuts hurt
A decision to cut state funding by 38 percent for programs that help people stop smoking and try to prevent others from starting worries those behind the state's tobacco cessation efforts.
Health Care & Insurance
Articles
Lilly suing J&J for patent rights in Alzheimer’s drug race
Eli Lilly and Co. is seeking to revoke a patent held by a Johnson & Johnson unit, arguing at a London court it might delay availability of a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
CNO sees smaller profit after paying off debt
CNO Financial Group Inc. posted much lower earnings in the first quarter after suffering a $57.2 million loss in the period on the extinguishment of debt.
WellPoint CEO: Acquisitions of hospitals, doctors unlikely
Joe Swedish, who took the helm of the Indianapolis-based health insurer a month ago, threw cold-water Wednesday on widespread speculation that he will lead the company through a wave of buying hospitals and medical practices.
Eli Lilly’s profit shoots up despite lackluster sales
The Indianapolis pharmaceutical company left its full-year profit forecast unchanged despite a spike in first-quarter earnings. Revenue fell short of analyst expectations.
WellPoint raises profit forecast after solid first quarter
The Indianapolis-based health insurer easily beat Wall Street’s expectations for earnings in the first quarter and revenue rose 15 percent.
Nora pharmacy recalls compounded drugs
A pharmacy that makes specialty medications is recalling nearly 100 compounded drugs after federal regulators found potential safety problems during an inspection.
Mercer courts employers with private exchange
Mercer Marketplace will offer health coverage from four companies—Aetna Inc., Cigna Corp., UnitedHealthcare and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Lilly on the rise as investors run back to pharma stocks
Investors are gaining confidence in the ability of major drugmakers, including Eli Lilly and Co., to improve their pipelines of new products. The big pharma firms begin to report first-quarter earnings this week.
Investors await progress report from WellPoint
Many investors expect the health care overhaul’s coverage expansions to affect WellPoint more than other insurers.
Lilly’s $30.6M tax abatement request clears hurdle
The pharmaceutical firm has $400 million in projects in the works for its facilities south of downtown. City officials have advanced its request for tax breaks to a public hearing and final consideration May 1.
Health overhaul may grow Indiana addiction services
The possibility of thousands of Indiana residents becoming eligible for addiction treatment under the federal health overhaul has state officials and providers preparing for an expansion.
Report: Medicaid expansion could juice economy
Proponents of a Medicaid expansion in Indiana are playing up the economic boost the state and its businesses could see from the expansion of health insurance coverage called for by President Obama’s health reform law.
Q&A
Mike Ripley, a health care lobbyist for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, talked about the business group’s views on a proposed expansion of coverage by the Indiana Medicaid program. As it stands now, the 2013 Indiana budget bill includes a plan passed by the Senate as Senate Bill 551, which would have OK’d the Pence administration to negotiate a block grant deal with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to expand Medicaid coverage via a program like the Healthy Indiana Plan. When that bill was altered in the House to remove the block grant concept, the Chamber dropped its support. The altered House bill is now dead, and the original Senate plan has been added to the budget bill. Its ultimate fate is still unknown
Lilly seeks $30.6M in tax breaks on downtown projects
Indianapolis development officials on Wednesday will weigh the 10-year requests from the pharmaceuticals giant related to a new manufacturing plant and improvements to existing operations downtown.
Analysts: Lilly faces ‘ugly’ period until its pipeline produces
Investor smiles about new experimental cancer drugs and an aggressive play for the animal health market in China turned to frowns after Lilly disclosed deep cuts to its U.S. sales force.
Expected revenue slump spurs Lilly to cut sales force
The Indianapolis pharmaceuticals giant said Thursday that it would lay off hundreds of U.S. sales reps, as it prepares for the loss of patent protection on two of its best-selling drugs.
State Farm must pay Fishers contractor $14.5M, court rules
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed a $14.5 million award of damages against State Farm Insurance to a Fishers-based construction firm. The award is one of the largest defamation awards in U.S. history, according to the court.
Employer health coverage on 10-year fall, study says
Indiana, Michigan and South Carolina saw the steepest declines in employer-backed coverage from 2000 to 2011, according to a study released Thursday.
Employers expect little health reform impact until next year
The full rollout of Obamacare on Jan. 1 will force some employers to make key decisions this year, but many area experts think 2013 will be anticlimactic, as most employers hold steady to watch the law’s changes play out in 2014.