Prominent Republicans back ‘safe and regulated’ marijuana legalization group
“It’s time, Indiana—time to tax and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and up, just like alcohol,” Safe and Regulated Indiana says in its first advertisement.
Health Care & Insurance
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Lilly to invest another $4.5B in Lebanon site for new ‘medicine foundry’
The new funding, for an advanced manufacturing and drug development center, will bring the Indianapolis-based drugmaker’s total investment in the Boone County site to more than $13 billion.
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Elevance Health to make $11.9M expansion in Indianapolis, add 230 jobs
Elevance said it plans make its investment at two locations: its headquarters at 220 Virginia Avenue and another site at 4740 Victory Lane on the southeast side.
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Workers, employees likely to see another stiff increase in health benefits
Nationally, the average cost of employer-sponsored health plans is expected to grow 9% next year if companies don’t find ways to cut costs, according to an Aug. 15 report by professional services firm Aon.
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Elevance Health acquiring IU Health Plans
IU Health Plans offers Medicare Advantage plans in 36 counties serving 19,000 members as well as fully insured commercial plans for 12,000 more people.
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Articles
Cook Medical invests in California urology-device company
Cook Medical is leading a $24 million investment round to support a medical-device startup developing a minimally invasive treatment for urinary conditions.
IU Health to cut 100 jobs in systemwide restructuring
The Indianapolis-based hospital system said it is transitioning from six regions to four to improve patient care models and better align with future expansion.
Nursing shortage to continue, Purdue professor says
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the nursing shortage as many nurses chose to quit their jobs due to a high workload and burnout.
Appeals court rules Indiana’s ban on gender-transition care for minors can remain
A panel of judges ruled 2-1 that the law’s restrictions are within the purview of the Indiana General Assembly and do not infringe on the constitutional rights of transgender children, their parents or medical providers.
Lilly expands research in Singapore with focus on sleep quality
Eli Lilly and Co. plans to set up a $31 million digital health innovation hub in Singapore, expanding its research and development in the city-state.
New FDA rules for TV drug ads: Simpler language and no distractions
TV remains the drug industry’s primary advertising format, with more than $4 billion spent in the past year, led by blockbuster drugs like weight-loss treatment Wegovy, according to ispot.tv, which tracks ads.
Report: Biden administration to adjust Medicare Star Ratings System
The scores have been the subject of several lawsuits filed by several health insurers—including Indianapolis-based Elevance Health—and managed care firms in recent months
Overdose deaths are down, giving experts hope for enduring decline
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report showed Indiana with an even larger decline in overdose deaths than the nation in the 12-month period that ended June 30.
IU study: Indiana stands out for reliance on self-insured, high-deductible plans
Hoosiers are 20% more likely to be covered by a self-insured health plan than their peers, a type of plan that “lacks the market power to effectively negotiate prices with hospitals,” the study noted.
Community Health sues Humana to recover $7.3M in payments for drugs to low-income and uninsured
Community Health said Humana intentionally withheld reimbursement for outpatient prescription drugs provided to Humana’s Medicare Advantage members between Jan. 1, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2022.
Cigna confirms it won’t pursue combination with rival Humana
The two health insurance giants, with a combined market value of roughly $125 billion, held talks about a deal last year.
CDC calls for expanded testing for bird flu after blood tests reveal more farmworker infections
The CDC study provides the largest window to date into how the bird virus first detected in March in dairy cows might be spreading to people.
Court dismisses doctor’s suit against IU Health for terminating medical privileges
The Indiana Southern District court affirmed that the vascular surgeo’s claims against the hospital did not constitute a legitimate antitrust case, stating his allegations of breach of contract and defamation were also without merit.
Elevance Health sues feds over ‘arbitrary and capricious’ star ratings for Medicare Advantage plans
At stake are billions of dollars in bonuses that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awards to insurers that achieve a certain start rating on their Medicare Advantage scores.
OrthoIndy and Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center Combine Orthopedic Practices
Two Indianapolis-based orthopedic medical practices are joining forces, creating a combined operation of more than 100 physicians and 1,200 employees with 22 locations across central Indiana.
UPDATE: Lilly shares tumble on earnings report that falls short of Wall Street expectations
The Indianapolis-based drugmaker missed expectations on sales of two popular drugs, diabetes treatment Mounjaro and weight-loss treatment Zepbound, which it attributed to inventory decreases in the wholesaler channel.
Indiana Hospital Association names longtime health care leader as new president
Scott B. Tittle, a former health care policy adviser to former Gov. Mitch Daniels and nursing home trade association leader, will take the helm of the nonprofit professional trade group on Nov. 25.
New federal agency kickstarts Indiana kidney project with $44M award
Sen. Todd Young visited the 16 Tech innovation district Monday to underscore the work of a young federal agency that wants to shake up the conventional model of funding biomedical research.
Elevance Health laying off 123 workers in California
The Indianapolis-based insurer is making the layoffs just a week after reporting a disappointing third-quarter profit and lowering its full-year earnings guidance.