State suspends VA manager who made fun of suicide
The Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Board voted Monday to suspend clinical social worker Robin Paul's license for 90 days.
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Hoosiers shopped around before picking Obamacare exchange coverage
One-third of Indiana’s buyers on Obamacare exchanges were new to their health plans this year—tying Indiana for sixth among the 37 states using the federal exchange.
Babies, business and the bottom line
For years, employers have focused on preventing huge health bills that can result from their older workers. But now Leonard Hoops, the CEO of Visit Indy, is trying to get employers to focus on the costs of the youngest members of their health plans: premature babies.
Nursing homes in Indiana have more money than ever
Through partnerships with county-owned hospitals, Indiana’s nursing homes pulled in about $260 million last year in extra federal funds. That means participating nursing homes enjoyed a 10 percent bonus check.
Franciscan, poster child for Obamacare, sees 2014 profits surge fivefold
After cutting staff sharply in 2013, Franciscan enjoyed more revenue and big profits in 2014. The key question for its and other hospitals’ future is whether they can keep up these gains in productivity to handle looming payment cuts from Obamacare.
Analysis: New nursing homes didn’t cause glut
An IBJ analysis of occupancy data from nursing homes built since 2012 and open at least one year found that newer facilities are filling their skilled-nursing beds at a lower rate than established nursing homes statewide.
High court justices sharply divided over Obamacare subsidies
The justices aggressively questioned lawyers on both sides Wednesday of what Justice Elena Kagan called "this never-ending saga," the latest politically charged fight over the Affordable Care Act.
Carmel business owner ordered to repay $720K for Medicaid fraud
A central Indiana woman who owned two businesses has been ordered to spend three years on probation and repay all of the money she unlawfully received in Medicaid payments.
Roche sees more sales success with penny-pinching hospitals
The future of U.S. health care will be about precision and parsimony. And Roche Diagnostics Corp. think its new line of DNA-level testing machines are just what the doctor ordered.
Analysis: Nursing home moratorium would yield smaller-than-expected savings
The Legislative Services Agency predicts a three-year ban on new skilled nursing beds would save the state $2.2 million—not the $24.6 million reported by the state in December.
Cheapest Obamacare plan stealing exchange customers from Anthem
A sleepy season for Obamacare sign-ups will end on Sunday will overall enrollment almost exactly where insurers predicted it would be. But low-priced plans, such as Ohio-based CareSource, have scooped up far more customers than expected.
HIP 2.0 approval means 40,000 Hoosiers must end their Obamacare coverage
An estimated 40,000 Hoosiers who already bought health insurance on the Obamacare exchanges now must end those plans and enroll in the expanded Healthy Indiana Plan. Otherwise, they’ll be on the hook to pay back thousands of dollars in Obamacare tax credits.
IU Health to cut 96 workers in Martinsville
In a cost-cutting move, Indiana University Health plans to lay off nearly 100 workers as Morgan Hospital stops admitting overnight patients April 1.
Democrats, hospital group cheer Healthy Indiana Plan ruling
The top Democrat in the Indiana Senate is applauding the federal approval of Gov. Mike Pence's proposal for expansion of the Healthy Indiana Plan.
UPDATE: Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0 gets federal approval
Federal officials have approved Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s plan to provide health insurance to lower-income Hoosiers, despite provisions that require some participants to pay part of the premium.
The Billion Dollar Decision
When the U.S. Supreme Court hands down its ruling on Obamacare’s tax credits, it could zap nearly $1 billion from Hoosiers’ finances. In fact, Hoosiers buyers on Obamacare’s exchanges have more to lose, as a percentage of their incomes, than the residents of all states other than Alaska and Mississippi.
Obamacare’s effects on Lilly: Modest pain, no gain
Since Obamcare was expected to boost insurance coverage nationally by 32 million people, drugmakers like Eli Lilly and Co. stood to benefit. But it’s not working out that way. At least not for Lilly.
Hoosier hospitals create new tool to help health care shoppers
Recognizing that more and more Hoosier patients are trying to shop for health care, the Indiana Hospital Association has created a web tool with price and quality information for all hospitals around the state. But bigger changes to the health care system will be needed before consumers have the kind of information they expect in other industries.
Study: Nursing home building boom is costing state millions
The state Medicaid program will pay $24 million more due to the nursing home building boom that occurred in 2014, according to an analysis by accounting firm Myers & Stauffer. The nursing home industry will use that figure to once again argue for halt to new construction.
Indy hospitals stung by Medicare penalties for patient injuries
Five Indianapolis-area hospitals stand to lose more than $7 million in Medicare payments as a penalty for having rates of infections and patient injuries that run higher than most hospitals nationwide.