State lawmakers critical of health care costs get feedback from hospitals, insurers
When it comes to who is responsible for the high cost of health care, many of the organizations pointed fingers to different players in the wide-ranging industry.
Hospitals
Articles
Community Health says operating income climbed 74% in 2021
Admissions, patient days, emergency room visits, outpatient surgeries and outpatient visits with physicians all climbed last year for Community Health Network. The only decreases were for inpatient surgeries and virtual appointments.
Financial challenges plague rural hospitals, including in Indiana
Rural hospitals have long struggled to stay afloat. But now, the sector is facing a wave of closings under additional financial pressures, some caused by the pandemic that has strained resources.
IU Health’s new downtown hospital to feature three soaring towers
After more than six years of planning, Indiana University Health is moving forward with the next step of its new, $1.6 billion flagship hospital downtown, which will soar up to 16 floors above the street.
IU Health gives $416M to IU medical school, reducing its profits
A leading critic of IU Health said the huge contribution appears to be a way to make the hospital system’s profits drop below $1 billion last year as it faces higher scrutiny from the Indiana General Assembly and other groups for its high fees and large profits.
Under fire for high prices, IU Health says it will invest $1B in community health programs
The health system said the funding plan will “support community health initiatives and education and workforce development programs statewide, including neighborhoods around its downtown Indianapolis campus.”
Navy team leaves Methodist Hospital as COVID-19 cases fall
A U.S. Navy team that was dispatched to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis to help relieve overwhelmed staffers during a surge in COVID-19 cases has wrapped up its deployment after 60 days.
20 Indiana hospitals docked for high rates of patient injuries, infections
The fines are one way Medicare is clamping down on hospitals, using penalties and incentives authorized by the Affordable Care Act to push for better outcomes, fewer safety problems and a lower number of readmissions.
Many Hoosiers in limbo as pandemic causes delay in elective surgeries
Most of Indiana’s hospitals have shelved elective surgeries—the medically necessary procedures that are normally scheduled at a patient’s convenience and often require an overnight stay, such as tonsillectomies, hernia repairs and hip replacements.
COVID hospitalizations in Indiana down 23% from peak
Statewide hospitalizations due to COVID-19 remained below 3,000 on Tuesday since sinking under that mark on Jan. 27, according to numbers posted by the Indiana State Department of Health on Wednesday.
With COVID hospitalizations easing, IU Health plans to resume some elective surgeries
The Indianapolis-based health care system said Thursday afternoon that it has a backlog of thousands of elective surgeries that were postponed due to the pandemic.
Surgeon general: Omicron hasn’t peaked and ‘next few weeks will be tough’
Case counts fueled by the highly contagious variant have started to level off in some parts of the country hit early by the latest wave, but the entire country is not moving at the same pace.
Indiana House panel approves sweeping bill aimed at nursing shortage
The bill, which allows nursing schools to increase enrollment and hire more part-time instructors, is widely supported by Indiana hospital systems, nursing schools and the long-term-care industry.
Crowded ERs divert ambulances in huge numbers, state data shows
Central Indiana hospitals diverted ambulances for nearly 3,000 hours during a six-week period this fall, according to information IBJ received from the Indiana State Department of Health through an open-records request.
Indiana legislative leaders take aim at ‘out-of-control’ health care prices
House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Rodric Bray sent a joint letter Tuesday to 20 hospital and insurance executives, telling them to submit a plan by April 1 that would lower Indiana’s hospital prices to the national average or lower by 2025.
COVID case counts losing some importance amid omicron
The explosive increase in U.S. coronavirus case counts is raising alarm, but some experts believe the focus should instead be on COVID-19 hospital admissions. And those aren’t climbing as fast.
Facing criticism over high fees and profits, IU Health rolls out 5-year price freeze
Indiana University Health, which charges the highest hospital fees in the Indianapolis area and is sitting on nearly $9 billion in cash and investments, said it is freezing prices through 2025 to help get in line with national average prices.
Methodist Sports Medicine announces name change in wake of lawsuit
IU Health sued the physician group last month, claiming trademark infringement and unfair competition, after it learned Methodist Sports Group and Franciscan Health were teaming up on a new hospital.
Eskenazi Health patient sues after cyberattack data breach, asks for class action status
Terri Ruehl Young filed suit in Indiana Commercial Court in Marion County on Friday against the Indianapolis-based public hospital and health care provider.
Hospitals face big fines for frequent readmissions
For the 10th straight year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is using the pressure of lower reimbursements to get hospitals to improve their numbers and cut down on the revolving door of readmissions.