Doctors caught in cost-cutting crossfire
Physicians employed by Indianapolis-area hospitals are likely to see their pay cut in the next few years unless the hospitals find new ways to be significantly more efficient.
Hospitals
Articles
Caponi to step down as St. Vincent system CEO
After overseeing 15 years of massive growth via mergers, Vince Caponi will become an executive of St. Vincent Health’s parent organization.
IU Health agrees to sell occupational health clinics
US HealthWorks Medical Group, which specializes in workers’ compensation cases, agreed in May to acquire the eight clinics. The deal is expected to close before the end of June.
Are hospitals on trajectory to pair up?
Indianapolis-area hospitals are undergoing such profound and permanent changes that some predict, eventually the four major hospital systems will merge and shrink down to two.
Indianapolis hospitals hit with tough bargaining environment
Aggressive construction wiped out historical territories, thus opening the door to insurers playing hospitals off each other.
Study rebuts hospitals’ argument on Medicare, rising costs
Rather than raising prices on private health insurers to make up for inadequate payments from the government, hospitals across the country have been raising prices just because they can, according to a new study.
Feds scrutinize nursing home buying spree
Indiana’s county-owned hospitals have rushed to acquire nursing homes in the past two years, opening a revenue stream for both the hospitals and the long-term-care facilities. But the additional federal revenue that has driven these purchases could come under threat.
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.
IU Health to chop $1 billion off costs
Even though Obamacare likely will expand health insurance coverage to an extra 500,000 Hoosiers over the next few years, IU Health expects per-patient reimbursements to fall as the federal government, employers and patients all push back on sky-high health care costs.
Medical finance driving major changes in health care marketplace
Brian and Emily Kahn had virtually identical physical therapy. He paid much more than she did. Why? Because of where the therapy took place.
Study: Inpatient declines to hit all hospitals
One explanation for Indiana University Health’s decision to delay its Methodist Hospital expansion is that new “value-based” payment models appear to be pushing down hospitalization rates, according to a study released Friday.
IU Health puts Methodist expansion plans on hold
Citing concerns about the economy and federal health reform, Indiana University Health has pressed pause on its plans to build a bed tower at Methodist Hospital that could have cost it as much as $500 million.
Indy hospitals healthy despite sequester
While rural hospitals face sharp reductions in their operating incomes, most of the four major hospital systems based in Indianapolis will see only a marginal impact on their finances.
Sequester could sap $200M from Indiana health care providers
The sequestration plan kicking in Friday will chop Medicare payments to hospitals, doctors and nursing homes by 2 percent, beginning April 1. One study estimates that the cuts could result in 10,000-plus job losses in Indiana alone.
Hospital systems forcing doctors to choose sides
The five-year trend of physician practices marrying up with hospitals has made it harder and harder for independent physician practices to spend time in more than one hospital system.
IU docs in middle of Community-Wishard deal
The new partnership between Community Health Network and Wishard Health Services could put a third health care entity in an awkward position: the Indiana University School of Medicine. Virtually all of the nearly 1,100 physicians who practice at Wishard Memorial Hospital and its community clinics come from the IU medical school.
Community, Wishard to form joint operating agreement
The partnership will create a new board to oversee and coordinate the operations of both systems, according to internal messages sent to Community stakeholders. Community Health CEO Bryan Mills will be the CEO of the new joint-operating entity.
Community, Wishard-Eskenazi plan ‘landmark’ announcement
The health care systems would not provide details, but said the announcement would place "Indianapolis in the best position for health care reform."
U.S. audit: Indiana should refund $5.8M to Medicaid
A federal audit released Friday recommends Indiana's human services agency refund more than $5.8 million in Medicaid funds because Logansport State Hospital did not show it had complied with special conditions for psychiatric hospitals.
Q&A
Don Kelso is executive director of the Indiana Rural Health Association. The trade group is trying to help its members navigate the changes coming from health care reform and the financial pressures being created by federal budget cuts. The association recently launched a service for its members called SuiteStats, which is data-management software to help hospital executives identify areas ripe for cost-cutting.