Obamacare insurers, states rush to react to Trump’s latest move
Indianapolis-based Anthem Inc. declined to say Friday whether it would retreat even further from Obamacare than it already has in recent months.
Health Care & Life Sciences
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Trump moving ‘step by step’ to take apart Obamacare on his own
Shares of publicly traded hospital chains including Tenet Healthcare Corp. slumped on Friday, as did insurers such as Centene Corp. and Anthem Inc.
Trump signs order to expand lower-cost, lower-benefit plans
Frustrated over setbacks in Congress, President Donald Trump wielded his rule-making power Thursday to launch an executive order that might get him closer to his goal of repealing and replacing Obamacare.
Express Scripts to buy medical test gatekeeper for $3.6B
The deal comes as Express Scripts faces challenges on a number of fronts, including the possible loss of its largest customer, Indianapolis-based health-insurance giant Anthem Inc.
IU announces $50M plan to tackle growing opioid epidemic
The university will hire 10 faculty members and team with the state and major health systems on what it calls a comprehensive plan to understand and deal with addictions, which are costing Indiana more than $1 billion a year.
Legal fight looms over California’s new drug pricing law
California has passed a law requiring pharmaceutical companies to explain their price increases, escalating the state-by-state battle between lawmakers trying to bring more transparency to the industry’s practices and drugmakers that oppose the efforts.
White House to order health care insurance alternatives
The White House is finalizing an executive order that would expand health plans offered by associations to allow individuals to pool together and buy insurance outside their states.
Zionsville pharmacist who put himself in feds’ sights admits to felonies
Harry Zhang pleaded guilty to two felonies this month after charged with illegally obtaining prescriptions from Canada and Germany and reselling them in China.
FDA approving drugs at accelerated pace
Thirty-four new drugs—treating everything from cancer to rare genetic diseases—have been approved so far this year. That’s on pace to nearly double last year’s approvals.
Trendy high-deductible health insurance plans lead patients to skip care
High-deductible health plans are booming in popularity, but, in an effort to save money, too many people are skipping preventive care even though such visits are covered 100 percent.
UPDATE: Indianapolis preparing to sue opioid makers, distributors
The city of Indianapolis plans to file a “robust lawsuit” against several drug companies, Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Thursday morning.
Struggling Endocyte spending millions for rights to prostate-cancer drug
After struggling for more than 20 years to develop cancer drugs without success, West Lafayette-based Endocyte Inc. is pausing it own R&D efforts to concentrate on a potential blockbuster drug from a German chemical company.
FDA approves Lilly drug for common advanced breast cancer
U.S. regulators have approved a new medicine for treating a common type of breast cancer after it has spread to other parts of the body.
FDA’s consumer protection warnings falling under Trump
From January to July, the agency sent 265 warning letters to companies, notifying them of what it alleged to be serious violations of federal rules. That’s the lowest tally for the first seven months of any year since 2008.
Opioid-abusers on payroll create risks at workplace
Castlight Health, a benefits platform, estimates that opioid abusers cost employers nearly twice as much in health-care expenses as their clean co-workers—an extra $8,600 a year.
EILENBERG: Is pharma the cause or solution to the opioid crisis?
Unfortunately, what started as a solution for pain turned into a crisis that is killing people.
Health Care & Benefits Power Breakfast: Panelists discuss ER care, nutrition, opiates and more
A sampling of panelists’ conversation at IBJ’s Sept. 21 Health Care & Benefits Power Breakfast.
Indiana rates to climb more than 20 percent on Obamacare exchanges
Hoosiers buying health insurance on the Obamacare marketplace will pay an average of nearly $500 a month in premiums next year, a sharp rise over current rates.
LifeOmic teams with IU, Regenstrief on precision medicine
The startup, founded by serial entrepreneur Don Brown, has hashed out a deal that it gives it access to a broad range of intellectual property.
GOP concedes on last-gasp attempt to repeal Obamacare
Senate Republicans, short of votes, abandoned their latest and possibly final attempt to kill the health care law Tuesday, just ahead of a critical end-of-the-week deadline.