Articles

Insurers say most Obamacare enrollees paying premiums

Three large health insurers including Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc. and Aetna Inc. say that a high percentage of their new Obamacare customers are paying their first premiums, partly undermining a Republican criticism of enrollment in the program.

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Veterans Affairs department rejects call for leader to quit

The Indianapolis-based American Legion, the nation's largest veterans service group, called Monday for the resignations of U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and two of his top aides amid an investigation into allegations of corruption and unnecessary deaths.

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Indiana signups lag for federal health care law

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show that a total of nearly 230,000 Indiana residents were eligible to enroll in a marketplace plan, but only about 132,000 had done so by the March 31 deadline.

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Hospitals might limit executives’ pay hikes after run of big increases

Before local hospitals slashed staff and expenses last year, they had been boosting the pay packages of their top executives faster than hospitals around the country. Seven of every 10 senior executives at the major hospital systems in Indianapolis saw their total compensation rise more than 10 percent from 2010 to 2012.

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Drug prices surge as generics, niche treatments eat profit

Since 2007, the cost of brand-name medicines has jumped, with prices doubling for dozens of established drugs that target everything from multiple sclerosis to cancer, blood pressure and even erections, according to an analysis conducted for Bloomberg News.

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CEOs launch childhood obesity initiative

Jump IN for Healthy Kids has a budget of $1.5 million and hopes to identify and extend successful efforts to improve diet, activity and healthy choices among children and their families.

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Novartis deal caps turnaround for Elanco

Next year, after Lilly completes its $5.4 billion acquisition of Novartis Animal Health, Elanco will contribute 17 percent of revenue—or one out of every six dollars flowing into Lilly’s coffers.

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Hospitals rethinking a la carte pricing

Indianapolis hospitals have begun to offer joint replacement surgeries to employers and insurers using “bundled prices.” That means, instead of billing piecemeal for each individual service and supply, the hospitals wrap everything needed from just before to just after surgery into a package deal.

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