WellPoint gets lashing from Sebelius, again
Indianapolis-based health insurer trades jabs with U.S. health secretary after Reuters story claims insurer deliberately cancels
coverage for breast cancer patients.
Health Care & Life Sciences
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Medicare Advantage may survive cuts under health reform
The two largest U.S. health insurance companies, UnitedHealth, based in Minnetonka, Minn., and WellPoint Inc., based in Indianapolis,
sell Advantage plans.
Anthem Blue Cross postponing rate hike again
In January, Anthem Blue Cross notified many individual policyholders that their rates would rise as much as 39 percent March
1. After a public outcry, the company announced a two-month delay. Now that is on hold, too.
New helicopters coming for Indiana medical flights
Clarian Health officials on Thursday plan to buy four helicopters as it replaces aircraft in its aging patient-transport
fleet.
Harlan Labs names new CEO
The Indianapolis-based provider of clinical research animals has promoted senior manager Hans Thunem to its top spot.
Medical device startup FlowCo enlists Guidant alums
The upstart developer of a device to help doctors choose the right-sized stent to prop open clog-prone arteries has brought
aboard former Guidant Corp. executives, including Bill McConnell. Their regulatory and marketing expertise could help FlowCo Inc. bring its artery-measurement
product to market as soon as 2011.
Clarian hospital system regains its appetite to build
Clarian is planning to spend $1.7 billion in the next five years on capital projects, half of that going to its downtown Indianapolis
campuses.
Indy anti-diabetes experiment takes off
UnitedHealthcare believes a program tested in the Indianapolis area will help it save money on claims.
Democrats want government approval of health premiums
Insurers like WellPoint Inc. should be required to get U.S. approval to increase premiums, Sens. Diane Feinstein and Tom Harkin
say.
Drug prices rise ahead of rebates
Drug prices rose faster last year than they have in a decade—just in time for big rebates the drug industry promised
as part of the health reform law.
Health care tech firm Gemms adding 69 jobs
Carmel-based electronic medical records developer Gemms Inc. plans to invest $2.1 million to expand its headquarters and software
development operations here, more than doubling its staff in the next five years.
Shareholders fail to remove Lilly’s anti-takeover provision
The proposal to remove an 80-percent approval threshold for takeover bids against the wishes of Lilly’s board received
approval from shareholders holding 74 percent of Lilly’s shares.
Lilly to pay $400M to repurchase Cymbalta rights
Eli Lilly and Co. will repurchase rights to develop and market antidepressant Cymbalta outside the U.S. and Japan from European
partner Boehringer Ingelheim for an initial payment of $400 million.
Shares fall after Lilly earnings report
Lilly shareholders are set to gather Monday in Indianapolis to hear an update on the company’s performance, including
how it will keep paying its generous dividend during the lean years after Zyprexa’s patent expiration.
Health reform dings Lilly’s earnings
The Indianapolis-based drugmaker also lowered its forecast for full-year profits because the new health care law grants bigger
rebates on prescription drugs to federal health insurance programs.
Can Lilly afford to maintain its dividend?
As shareholders gather April 19 for Eli Lilly and Co.’s annual meeting, more of them than ever will come with an unusual question:
Will Lilly be able to keep paying its dividend?
Clarian plans $375M hospital tower at Methodist
Clarian Health is planning to build a bed tower at Methodist Hospital in a massive project that shows renewed
commitment
to the downtown campus. The tower would have 175 to 250 beds and allow Methodist to make all its rooms private.
Struggling firms stash away losses to cut future taxes
Conseco expects its write-offs will be worth more than $800 million over the next 20 years.
Rockefeller: Insurers don’t spend enough on medical care
Indianapolis-based WellPoint “reclassified” more than half a billion dollars of administrative expenses as medical
expenses when it was defining its medical-loss ratio, according to a report released by U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller’s
office.
Indiana warns consumers about questionable insurance
State insurance officials are warning Indiana residents about questionable health insurance policies being offered by companies
touting themselves as associations.