WellPoint taps Catholic hospital system chief as new CEO
Joe Swedish, CEO of Michigan-based Trinity Health since December 2004, will replace Angela Braly, who was forced out in August.
Health Care & Insurance
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CNO Financial boosts fourth-quarter profit
The Carmel-based holding company for insurance firms reported fourth-quarter 2012 net income of $101.2 million, or 41 cents a share. That was a 57 percent jump over the same quarter in 2011.
Q&A
Don Kelso is executive director of the Indiana Rural Health Association. The trade group is trying to help its members navigate the changes coming from health care reform and the financial pressures being created by federal budget cuts. The association recently launched a service for its members called SuiteStats, which is data-management software to help hospital executives identify areas ripe for cost-cutting.
Pressure rises on lawmakers to expand Medicaid
Up until now, Gov. Mike Pence and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature have been playing a game of poker with the Obama administration over a potential expansion of Indiana’s Medicaid program. But all of a sudden, Indiana’s hand just got quite a bit weaker.
’12 worst year for life sciences since 1990s
To understand why Indiana’s life sciences entrepreneurs are frustrated with the flow of venture capital, look no further than this statistic from a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report: 2012 was the slowest year for first-time life sciences investment since 1995.
Indiana Democrats to seek Medicaid expansion
Democratic leaders in the Indiana General Assembly are seeking expanded Medicaid coverage with the argument that it will lower health care costs statewide.
Hospitals paying big to snag surgeons
Across the four largest hospital systems in central Indiana, six physicians received more than $1 million in compensation in 2011 while two others received more than $900,000 and nine others received $700,000 or more, according to the hospitals’ most recent reports to the IRS.
Lilly halts late-stage testing of rheumatoid arthritis drug
Eli Lilly said it is halting testing of experimental drug tabalumab because the studies show the medicine is not effective. The company said it expects to take a $50 million charge in the first quarter related to the research expenses from the drug.
Struggling Greenwood biotech firm finds buyer
Elona Biotechnologies Inc., which has been struggling to repay Greenwood for more than $8 million in economic development incentives, says it has solution to its financial problems.
Pence rules out Medicaid expansion in current form
Gov. Mike Pence said Wednesday that he has ruled out expanding Medicaid under the federal health care law unless Indiana gets approval to use state health savings accounts for the expansion.
Lilly aims to submit five new drugs for approval
With Eli Lilly and Co. set to see patents expire on its best-selling drug at year’s end, it is in the company’s interest to say its pipeline is about to produce new drugs. But the Indianapolis drugmaker may be in a position to submit five new drugs for regulatory approval this year.
Community taps Walgreens for health reform help
In the era of health care reform, hospitals will face two new challenges: They will need to run higher-volume, lower-margin businesses, and they’ll be on the hook financially for what patients do even when they’re not receiving health care. Community Health Network’s new partnership with Walgreens’ Take Care Clinics is designed to help address both issues.
Health care startups hungry for funds
Frustrated by up-and-down state funding for startup life sciences companies, industry leaders are talking up a plan to create a dedicated funding stream that could total $30 million a year.
Law firm adds pharmacy practice
Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman will draw on existing expertise within the firm to create the 10-member group.
Baldwin & Lyons reports lower quarterly, annual profit
The Indianapolis-based transportation industry insurer attributed the lower earnings to smaller investment gains. Excluding investments, quarterly profit increased due to fewer storm losses.
Cold medicines could face tighter limits in Indiana
An Indiana Senate committee has backed tougher limits on quantities consumers may buy of cold medications that can be used to make methamphetamine.
Life sciences consultancy plans to expand, add 38 jobs
Indianapolis-based Pearl Pathways, founded by two former Eli Lilly employees, plans to move into new space in March and add the jobs by 2016.
Lilly’s profit drops 4 percent, but beats analysts’ estimates
Price increases and sales gains helped Eli Lilly and Co. offset declining revenue from its former blockbuster Zyprexa in the fourth quarter, allowing the company to beat analysts' expectations and raise its 2013 profit forecast.
Indiana lawmakers advance music therapist bill
A bill that would certify Indiana therapists who specialize in using music to treat people with autism, Alzheimer's and other conditions is advancing in the General Assembly.
Zimmer highly exposed to health-reform risk
Shares of Zimmer Holdings Inc. have generated impressive returns of 23 percent in the past year and some 2013 product launches could juice those results even further. But the Warsaw-based maker of orthopedic implants is also the most-exposed company in its industry to two key elements of health care reform: the medical device tax and bundled payments.