FDA names former pharmaceutical exec to oversee drug program
Dr. George Tidmarsh, a cancer and pediatric specialist, will direct the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, which regulates the safety and effectiveness of all U.S. drugs.
Health Care & Insurance
Articles
Allergies seem nearly impossible to avoid—unless you’re Amish in Indiana
An Amish community living in northern Indiana is considered one of the least allergic populations ever measured in the developed world.
Health insurance through Affordable Care Act faces big premium hikes
The average person buying a marketplace plan would pay 75% more for their monthly premium if Congress doesn’t extend the subsidies, according to KFF.
Drugmaker telehealth deals risk unnecessary prescribing, Senate probe finds
Partnerships between telehealth companies and pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. raise concerns about conflicts of interest and inappropriate prescribing, according to a Senate investigation released Thursday.
Elevance cuts outlook as higher costs weigh on industry
Elevance’s membership declined slightly from the first quarter, with drops in Medicaid and fewer people purchasing Affordable Care Act plans.
Hoosier employers increasingly turn to self-insured plans to trim costs
The average privately employed Hoosier is 20% more likely to be enrolled in a self-insured plan than the average privately employed American.
FDA begins sharing rejection letters drugmakers often kept secret
Investors have long asked the FDA to share its reasons for rejecting drugs, arguing that companies can use the agency’s silence on the matter to mislead the market.
Cycling broadens IU physician’s influence on wellness and fitness
Dr. Chemen Neal of the Indiana University School of Medicine has taken her passion for cycling from a personal fitness pursuit to something deeper—a tool for meeting all sorts of people and promoting health and wellness.
Prices for obesity drugs fall, but affordability still out of reach for many
The medications still amount to around $500 per month for those without insurance—out of reach for many patients. And even for people with insurance, coverage remains uneven.
‘Narrow’ health plans gain wider acceptance
Direct-to-employer health insurance plans, in which an employer contracts directly with a health care network for coverage, restrict provider choice but are generally less expensive for employers and employees.
Youth tobacco use continues to decline but nicotine pouches gain popularity
Since 2000, the Indiana Department of Health has surveyed more than 4,800 public middle and high school students every two years to monitor tobacco trends.
Health insurers promise to improve coverage reviews that prompt delays, complaints
UnitedHealthcare, Indianapolis-based Elevance Health, CVS Health’s Aetna, Cigna and more than 40 other insurers say they plan to reduce the scope of health care claims subject to prior authorization.
Aflac finds suspicious activity on network that might affect personal data
Aflac said potentially impacted files contain claims information, health information, Social Security numbers and other personal information related to customers, beneficiaries, employees, agents and other individuals.
‘Indiana needs a HIP replacement,’ social services secretary says about insurance program
Ongoing negotiations in Washington, D.C., could undermine or fundamentally alter the third iteration of the Healthy Indiana Plan, otherwise known as HIP.
Supreme Court decision over gender-transition treatments has implications for Indiana, other states
In one of the most high-profile cases of the term, the court voted 6-3 along ideological lines to uphold a state law that prohibits adolescents from using hormones and puberty blockers for gender transition.
Lilly hosts Reddit ‘Ask Me Anything’ Q&A on blockbuster weight-loss drug Zepbound
Questions included whether the Indianapolis-based drugmaker is working to improve insurance coverage for the drug and highlighted users’ concerns about comparisons with Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.
Pharmaceutical company planning to relocate from California to Fishers
1Elevan Biopharmaceuticals plans to relocate to a vacant industrial building near Interstate 69 and East 121st Street, where it expects to build a workforce of at least 120 employees over the next decade.
Hoosier homeowners have seen 16% rise in insurance premiums over past 3 years, report says
One in every 54 policies, or 1.8%, were canceled due to nonpayment in 2022, according to the center’s analysis of Federal Insurance Office data.
Community Health Network looks to save $10M this year by using AI tools
While many hospital systems are using some form of artificial intelligence to streamline administrative tasks, some, like Community, are taking it a step further, using it to inform some aspects of patient care.
Indiana health department reports possible record-low infant death rate
If the rate holds after final review, it would be Indiana’s lowest since the state began tracking the measure in 1900.