Docs, health insurers battle at Statehouse
Physicians and insurance companies have entered their fourth year of haggling over insurance payments, and each side is claiming
to best represent patients.
Health Care Costs
Articles
Time to snuff out public smoking
The Indiana General Assembly should pass a bill into law that bans smoking in public places.
Hospitals seek mergers to save costs
Marion County hospital systems anticipate more mergers, possibly with each other.
New health plans will cost more later
Consumer-driven health plans will lead to greater medical expenses later because people avoid going to the doctor now.
As workers lose jobs, Shelbyville hospital loses money
Because major employers in Shelby County have laid off workers, Major Hospital isn’t getting as much income from employer-based
medical insurance plans.
Executives must stress wellness program benefits consistently
Health care benefits that promote wellness should be an ongoing executive suite focus, not simply an annual budget concern.
St. Francis Hospitals, Anthem disagree over health insurance reimbursements
The St. Francis hospital system and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana are haggling over insurance reimbursement
costs. The original demand of Sisters of St. Francis Health Services Inc. would have increased reimbursement amounts $80 million
over three years, Rick Rhodes, an Anthem regional vice president, wrote in an Oct. 30 letter to employers covered by Anthem.
The increase would mean $12 million more in out-of-pocket costs to Anthem customers. But St. Francis claims its request for
an increase only brings it in line with what other hospitals are getting.
Hoosiers need greater access to quality health care
Indiana’s economic woes are long standing and may be having an adverse effect on the health of our people,
because Hoosiers can’t consistently gain access to excellent health care.
Study says consumerism cuts costs
Consumer-directed health plans really work, at least according to WellPoint Inc., which has made a big push to sell them recently.
Health network leading charge for electronic patient records
Four years after its launch, the Indiana Health Information Exchange is laying the groundwork to take its game outside state
borders. The Indianapolis-based not-for-profit offers a service that provides patient records and test results via computer
to hospitals and doctors around central Indiana. But now, its leaders think they can take their expertise to other cities
and help them develop their own health information exchanges.
State feels pain from health care costs
Spending on health care is rising faster in Indiana than it is across the country. Yet the state’s job and income growth continue
to lag national norms.
St. Francis CEO organizing effort to heal state’s health care
Bob Brody, CEO of St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers, is spearheading an emerging group of central Indiana health reformers
who want to start a bottom-up process to develop alternative solutions to the state’s–and possibly the nation’s–health care
crisis.
Hospital charity cases growing as ranks of uninsured swell
In the last three years, Indianapolis hospitals have seen a substantial run-up in the amount of charity care they give to patients who can’t pay. The cost of care is rising, more people are uninsured, and government officials are scrutinizing not-for-profit hospitals to make sure they give enough charity care to merit their tax-exempt status.
Clarian to put prices on its Web site
Clarian Health Partners will start posting prices for care on its Web site early next year, a move aimed at advancing the national movement toward greater transparency in health care costs.