Pence still angling to use Healthy Indiana Plan to expand Medicaid
Decisions by other Republican governors to support Medicaid expansion is increasing pressure on Indiana’s governor to do the same.
Health Care & Life Sciences
Articles
House, Pence split on state’s Medicaid expansion
Gov. Mike Pence is battling with House lawmakers over expanding health care coverage for roughly 400,000 Indiana residents, amid concerns that the state's health care program for the poor won't be able to handle the flood of new enrollees.
WellPoint hikes quarterly dividend by 30 percent
The Indianapolis-based health insurer expects to return about $2 billion to shareholders this year, through the dividend and share buybacks.
Lilly’s Alzheimer’s effort may gain from brain-mapping plan
Roche AG and Eli Lilly and Co., two drugmakers racing to develop treatments for some of the least understood brain disorders, may gain the most from a U.S. government boost in funding to fully map the human brain.
IU docs in middle of Community-Wishard deal
The new partnership between Community Health Network and Wishard Health Services could put a third health care entity in an awkward position: the Indiana University School of Medicine. Virtually all of the nearly 1,100 physicians who practice at Wishard Memorial Hospital and its community clinics come from the IU medical school.
Med school names six finalists for dean
Half of the candidates to replace retiring dean Dr. Craig Brater are from the IU medical school and the other half are outsiders, according to a release issued Monday by the Indiana University School of Medicine.
UPDATE: Primary care at heart of hospitals’ deal
Community Health Network’s new partnership with Wishard Health Services will create a primary-care behemoth that the systems argue will put them in the best position possible to handle the changes coming from federal health reform.
Community, Wishard to form joint operating agreement
The partnership will create a new board to oversee and coordinate the operations of both systems, according to internal messages sent to Community stakeholders. Community Health CEO Bryan Mills will be the CEO of the new joint-operating entity.
WellPoint exec Carlson leaving insurer after losing CEO bid
Former Amerigroup Corp. CEO James Carlson will leave WellPoint Inc., the company said Friday—three days after he was passed over for the Indianapolis-based insurer’s top job.
U.S. audit: Indiana should refund $5.8M to Medicaid
A federal audit released Friday recommends Indiana's human services agency refund more than $5.8 million in Medicaid funds because Logansport State Hospital did not show it had complied with special conditions for psychiatric hospitals.
Anthem tries new ‘narrow network’ strategy
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has selected Community Health Network to be the “exclusive provider” for a new kind of health insurance plan—a sharp departure from Anthem’s typical strategy of offering the broadest network of hospitals and doctors.
Lilly to expand partnership with diagnostic firm
Diagnostic products maker Qiagen NV said Wednesday that it will work with Eli Lilly and Co. to develop new tests that could identify patients who could be helped by Lilly’s drugs.
Pence pushes state solutions for health care
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is asking the federal government to approve a three-year extension of the Healthy Indiana Plan health savings accounts in lieu of an expansion of a federal Medicaid system he calls "broken."
WellPoint shares tumble on surprising CEO hire
The Indianapolis-based health insurer saw its stock tumble as much as 4.8 percent Wednesday morning after it unexpectedly named career hospital executive Joe Swedish to be its next CEO.
Senate panel advances Medicaid expansion plan
The Indiana Senate Public Health Committee is advancing a proposal to expand Medicaid using the state's health savings account plan.
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.
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.