Three bills in Indiana Senate take aim at health-care costs, practices
The proposals aim to lower prescription drug costs, promote competition among physicians and end the practice that allows for inaccurate medical billing in certain circumstances.
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Beth Keyser: Working together to make health care more affordable
The longtime industry standard of negotiating hospital reimbursement as a discount on the hospital’s billed charges is being replaced with fixed rates based on what Medicare would pay for a given service.
Hackers hit health companies, insurers with increasing regularity
Of all the industries in the country, health care might be the juiciest for cyberhackers. And around central Indiana, institutions large and small are paying the price.
Arcane world of pharmacy benefit managers slowly unraveling
A series of federal and state actions are putting the $400 billion PBM industry under a spotlight.
Anthem sues former executive over trade secrets
Indianapolis-based health insurer Anthem Inc. is suing a former executive, claiming he stole trade secrets, went to work for a direct competitor, and breached a contract involving restricted stock agreements.
Anthem Inc. to change corporate name to Elevance Health
The Indianapolis-based health insurer said the name change will better reflect its mission of “elevating whole health and advancing health beyond healthcare.”
Medicare opens up access to free at-home COVID-19 tests
Starting in early spring, up to eight free tests will be available each month to people who have Medicare’s “Part B” outpatient benefit, which about 9 in 10 enrollees sign up for.
Two former Anthem employees sue company, claim high quotas resulted in unpaid overtime
Two former employees of Anthem Inc. claim the Indianapolis-based health insurer set work quotas so high that it was impossible to meet them in a 40-hour week, forcing them to work unpaid overtime. Anthem declined to comment.
Health insurance premiums still on rise, topping $22,000 a year for family coverage
Over the past decade, premiums for family coverage under employer-sponsored health insurance has climbed 47%, faster than wages (31%) or inflation (19%), according to the Kaiser Family Foundation Employer Health Benefits Survey.
Insurers push hard to win Medicare Advantage customers
In Indiana last year, dozens of insurers across the state rolled out plans hoping to get a sizable piece of the fast-growing market.
Anthem jumps back into Indiana ACA marketplace three years after departing
The Indianapolis-based insurer, which left the program in 2018 after racking up huge losses, is jumping back in under a partnership with three hospital systems covering 45 of Indiana’s 92 counties.
Indiana health officials say ‘white bagging’ should be regulated, but do not call for a ban
A new report submitted to the Indiana Legislative Council calls for the regulation of “white bagging,” a practice that requires hospitals to buy drugs from an outside pharmacy, which delivers them premixed ahead of time of the patient’s visit. It is a growing practice, aimed at lowering the cost of care, but many providers say it can compromise care.
Indiana hospitals should hold annual meetings to explain prices, consumer group says
The group, Hoosiers for Affordable Healthcare, is pushing an amendment that would require most of Indiana’s hospitals to hold annual public meetings to explain their prices, including any price increases, and to take questions about their finances.
Battle over where to purchase specialty drugs hits Indiana
Health care practitioners and insurers are fighting over the hefty prices hospitals charge for specialty drugs to treat patients with cancer, vision loss, low white-blood-cell count and other serious diseases.
State seeks to regulate pharmacy benefit managers
Three bills advancing through the Indiana General Assembly would provide tighter regulation of pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs).
Carmel-based CNO acquires employee benefits administrator for $50M
The benefits administrator, DirectPath LLC, offers a variety of technology-driven services for employees and employers.
Anthem paying $594M to settle antitrust litigation, but deal terms might fuel growth
Paying a half-billion-dollar settlement might seem painful, but health care observers say resulting changes to Blue Cross Blue Shield rules are so favorable to Anthem’s growth prospects that the deal is a huge win.
Carmel-based CNO Financial sees profit soar in third quarter
Carmel-based CNO Financial Group Inc. saw a sharp increase in profit during the third quarter, partly because its customers deferred seeking medical care and, as a result, submitted fewer health insurance claims.
Study: Indiana ranks sixth in nation in hospital charge disparities
A new study released Friday by the Rand Corp. found that Hoosiers covered by employer health plans paid Indiana hospitals three times what Medicare would have paid for the same procedures, exceeding the national rate of disparity.
Record profits for Anthem, other health insurers, raise hackles
Many health insurers are reporting second-quarter earnings double what they were a year ago, as Americans are putting off expensive surgeries and even routine office visits during the pandemic.