On a mission to shine a light, find important health care stories
The new guy on the beat has a notebook and ideas, but has been around long enough to know the best stories come from readers.
Health Care & Life Sciences
Articles
Thank you and farewell
Just as a reminder, this is the end of my run as the voice of The Dose. I’m handing over the blog, starting Friday, to John Russell, IBJ’s new health care reporter.
Anthem seeks $3B more in drug savings from Express Scripts
Anthem, which contracts with Express Scripts to manage drug costs for its members, said the pharmacy manager should be passing along about $3 billion a year more in the savings it negotiates from drug companies.
Indy drug firm scores multi-million-dollar help from NIH
Indianapolis-based Chondrial Therapeutics LLC has been accepted into a program run by the National Institutes of Health that will provide the drug company with services worth at least $5 million, the company estimates.
Anthem stock jumps on better health plan enrollment
Investors bid up shares of Anthem Inc. on Tuesday morning after the Indianapolis-based health insurer said its health plan membership ended the year at higher levels than expected.
Once debt-laden, IU Health’s finances in tip-top shape
When CEO Dan Evans relinquishes the reins of Indiana University Health in April, he will hand his successor Dennis Murphy a hospital system with a pristine balance sheet. That’s a big change for IU Health, which when the Great Recession hit was debt-laden and cash-strapped.
There is too much money in unhealthy behavior
I spell out the top 5 reasons, starting with Hoosiers’ poor health, why health care in Indiana is even more messed up than it is around the rest of the country.
Firm aims to nationally distribute brain care innovation
Preferred Population Health Management is trying to get hospital systems, health insurers and area agencies on aging to use a set of tools and techniques to help dementia patients and their families—tools that were developed by the medical staff at Eskenazi Health, the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute.
Survey: U.S. progress on health insurance stalled in 2015
The share of U.S. adults without health insurance was 11.9 percent in the last three months of 2015, essentially unchanged from the start of the year, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
Anthem workers file lawsuit over 401(k) fees in retirement plan
Anthem’s retirement plan is accused in a lawsuit of forcing about 60,000 workers and retirees to pay excessive fees by having to invest in Vanguard Group funds billed as low-cost options.
USB drive with patient info missing from IU Health hospital
Officials with an Indiana University Health emergency department say the missing flash drive contains information from more than 29,000 patients.
Influential senator, health advocate Miller to retire
Indiana Sen. Patricia Miller, who has represented the southeast portion of the Indianapolis area for 34 years, has served as chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Provider Services since 1993.
Aetna follows UnitedHealth in leaving industry lobbying group
With Aetna’s departure, two of the five biggest public U.S. health insurers will have ditched America’s Health Insurance Plans. The other three—Anthem Inc., Cigna Corp. and Humana Inc.—are still members
Indy firm hits growth stride with benefits software
Indianapolis-based Healthiest Employer LLC expects its Springbuk software for managing wellness programs to triple its clients, revenue and employees this year.
First-of-a-kind drug approvals continued rise in 2015
The rising figures reflect an industry-wide focus on drugs for rare and hard-to-treat diseases, which often come with streamlined reviews, extra patent protections and higher price tags.
Family keeps up legal fight against Indiana malpractice cap
A jury awarded $15 million in damages to Crystal and Jamie Bobbitt in their lawsuit against a doctor and a hospital. They’ve not yet received any of that money, and their attorneys are challenging the constitutionality of the state’s malpractice law.
IBJ’s most-read stories of 2015
Despite national attention paid to RFRA and Jared Fogle, most of IBJ’s top-read online stories this year were the result of deeply sourced reporting on people, issues and businesses specific to central Indiana.
Deal puts IU doctor’s research on path to market
A professor in the Indiana School of Medicine is hopeful that an antibiotic cocktail he invented will one day improve the lives of millions of people, thanks in part to the Indiana University Research and Technology Corp., formed in 1997 to make work done by IU faculty and researchers available for commercial development.
LifeLine expansion part of IU Health’s reform strategy
IU Health effectively started its own ambulance service in December by adding two ambulances to its long-standing LifeLine critical-care service and opening a call center to help other health care providers figure out what level of transport services a particular patient needs.
Longtime Riverview Health CEO planning retirement
Pat Fox, president and CEO of Riverview Health since 2004, plans to retire in May, the Noblesville-based health care network announced Monday.