Obamacare small-biz plan lags as employers stand pat
Greeted by higher premiums, less generous coverage and more paperwork, small businesses are choosing to renew existing health plans rather than buy them through President Barack Obama’s program.
Health Care & Insurance
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Jilted dental patients get $543K in restitution from state
Nearly 300 former patients of Allcare Dental & Dentures have received refunds of upfront payments they made before the national dental chain abruptly closed multiple Indiana locations in 2011.
OK, I’m convinced: Hospitals actually are transforming
There are clear signs that hospitals nationally, and even here in Indianapolis, are actually starting to make good on their promises to keep patients healthier and out of the hospital.
Many small firms to opt out of health benefits in 2015
Many employers with fewer than 50 workers kept their health plans for 2014, but a growing number say they’ll drop group coverage at the end of this year.
WellPoint raises its 2013 profit forecast
The new forecast roughly matches what Wall Street analysts were already expecting. WellPoint will reveal its actual 2013 financial results on Jan. 29.
Older Hoosiers dominate health care sign-ups
The ranks of Indiana and U.S. residents who have selected health insurance plans through a federally run online exchange are dominated by the oldest, and costliest, age groups.
Lilly needs more R&D successes to counter declining ROI on new drugs
Eli Lilly and Co.’s success at moving an experimental migraine medicine forward by using outside companies and capital is good news for this reason: The fundamental business of Big Pharma drug development is in bad shape.
Looks like both sides are wrong about Medicaid
New research shows that expanding Medicaid won’t save money, in spite of the claims of Obamacare supporters, but it will provide modest help to patients’ health and pocketbooks, in spite of conservative critics’ contention to the contrary.
Lilly reacquires migraine medicine after encouraging results
Positive results from a Phase 2 trial in patients convinced Lilly to reacquire an experimental migraine medicine. Lilly recorded a charge of $57 million to reflect the purchase price and the costs of further development.
3,400 people being added to Healthy Indiana Plan
Family and Social Services Administration Secretary Debra Minott announced Friday the state had culled through an extensive waiting list and accepted the new applicants for coverage.
Group led by WellPoint to partner on global health network
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association will form a combined provider network with London-based Bupa that will collectively include more than 11,500 hospitals in more than 190 countries, the partners said Thursday.
Lawmakers consider state-assisted retirement plan
Senate Bill 66 creates a state-assisted savings plan for retirement. The bill is opposed by the Association of Indiana Life Insurance Companies.
Lawmakers confused by cut in state’s tobacco funds
A hearing about tobacco funding Wednesday in the House Public Health Committee left many legislators still searching for answers.
WellPoint seeks more Obamacare biz by extending deadline
Two of the largest U.S. health insurers are giving Obamacare customers more time to pay their initial premiums as the industry tries to coax millions of people to take the final step in cementing coverage for 2014.
Three groups puzzled by woman’s $7 million bequest
The organizations which include Indianapolis-based Hoosier Oncology Group have no idea why an Evansville teacher chose them as beneficiaries.
WellPoint to unload 1-800-Contacts unit
Financial terms of the sale to Boston-based private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners LP weren’t disclosed. WellPoint paid a reported $900 million to buy the company in June 2012.
Lilly forecasts sales, profit drop in face of rival generic drugs
In a warning shot to investors, the pharmaceutical giant says it expects “2014 to be the most financially challenging year of Lilly’s current period of patent expirations.”
New St. Vincent CEO will inherit financially solid system
It’s a challenging time to be a hospital CEO, but when Jonathan Nalli takes the helm of St. Vincent Health, he’ll have about as strong a financial hand as anybody to play.
Crux of Medicaid showdown is how to fight poverty
When Gov. Mike Pence tries next month to negotiate a Medicaid expansion deal in a meeting with the Obama administration, it will be a clash of the conservative and liberal approaches to fighting poverty.
No one likes Obamacare
Obamacare has officially arrived, but both conservatives and liberals are calling it awful. That means the real debate over health reform is just beginning.