Insurer-provider contract impasses leave many patients without care
Indiana physicians are keeping an eye on the trend of large insurers dropping medical practices from their networks, which they call a classic case of David versus Goliath.
Health Care Costs
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What business interests will be seeking in the 2024 legislative session
Reducing health care costs, pursuing tax breaks and preparing the next generation of Hoosiers for the workforce are among the top priorities of business leaders as state lawmakers return to the Indiana Statehouse Monday for the 2024 legislative session.
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Tensions boil between ER docs, insurers as no-surprises law rolls out
The federal No Surprises Act—which took effect Jan. 1 and protects patients from receiving surprise medical bills resulting from unexpected, out-of-network coverage—is already creating huge waves.
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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.
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Eli Lilly, hospitals go to war over drug prices
A long-simmering dispute between Eli Lilly and Co. and safety-net hospitals across the nation over the price of prescription drugs has reached the boiling point.
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Articles
Medical debt proposal draws mixed response
A national proposal to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports could have a significant impact in Indiana, where the percentage of residents with delinquent medical debt is higher than in 39 other states.
Lilly launches obesity drug, but insurers balk over price
The new drug, called Zepbound, carries a hefty price of $1,059.87 per month, and insurers and health care plans are balking, questioning its affordability. Many employers and government health programs exclude obesity treatments from their coverage.
Rising hospital CEO pay raises flags
Consumer advocates and other across the country and in central Indiana are saying big executive-compensation packages are ripe for review.
Coalition seeks bargaining power for independent physicians
A group of about 30 independent medical practices in Indiana, called Indiana Physicians Health Alliance Inc., registered with the state in July as a not-for-profit after nearly two years of organizing.
Northwind Pharma planning $10.5M expansion, 205 new hires
The Indianapolis company, located in the former St. Bernadette Catholic Church on the near-east side, plans to make the hires by the end of 2025.
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.
55 Indiana hospitals facing fines for excessive readmissions
The number is down from 62 hospitals last year and 66 the before, but will still cost many hospitals money while they are still dealing with the strain of the pandemic that has overwhelmed resources and reduced their revenue and profits.
Community Health posts net loss of $252M on investments, high nursing costs
Net patient revenue for the first nine months of the year increased an undisclosed amount, driven by an increase in volumes in many areas. Patient days climbed 5% and admissions rose 5.7% during the period.
Indiana’s soaring health care costs linked to market concentration
A high concentration of hospital, physician and insurance markets in Indiana have likely contributed to health care costs soaring 48% in a recent nine-year period, according to a new study commissioned by state lawmakers.
Indiana ranked seventh in nation for hospital charge disparities
A new study released Thursday by the Rand Corp. showed that Hoosiers covered by employer health plans paid Indiana hospitals nearly three times—or 292%—of what Medicare would have paid for the same procedures.
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.
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.
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.
Medicare copays for new Alzheimer’s drug could reach $11,500
Separately, Dr. Aaron Kesselheim of Harvard University became the third member of an FDA advisory panel that opposed the drug to step down over the decision to approve it.
Three corporate giants ending venture to address health care costs
Haven, which was formed in 2018 by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan to attack soaring costs, will cease operations by the end of February.
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.
Health care bills unlikely to remedy cost crisis
Republican leaders of the Indiana General Assembly and Gov. Eric Holcomb have made addressing high health care costs a top priority this year, but the bills proposed to do so are unlikely to have much direct impact.
Virtual health care grows, but usage is uneven and some patients, physicians are slow to adopt
Three years after Indiana passed a law allowing doctors to prescribe drugs for patients without an in-person visit—using a computer, smartphone, video camera and similar technology—some health systems around the state are reporting higher use of virtual visits. St. Vincent, for example, sees hundreds of patients a month remotely for ailments ranging from minor rashes and sprains to follow-up visits for strokes.
Drugmakers will have to reveal medication prices in TV ads
The Trump administration has finalized regulations that will require drug companies to disclose list prices of medications costing more than $35 for a month’s supply.