Hamilton, Boone counties among Indiana’s healthiest
A new report says Hamilton and Boone counties are among the healthiest in Indiana, while Marion ranks among the worst.
Health Care
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Franciscan Alliance plans 84 jobs at Greenwood billing center
The Mishawaka-based Franciscan Alliance plans to spend $8.4 million to open an administrative center in Greenwood, creating 84 jobs in the next four years.
Illinois House votes to lift smoking ban at casinos
Tom Swoik, executive director of Illinois Casino Gaming Association, said gambling revenue has dropped 32 percent since the state’s smoking ban was approved. He said the ban has cost state government about $800 million in taxes.
Q&A
Susan Rider is an employee-benefits account manager at Indianapolis-based Gregory & Appel Insurance. On July 1, she will become president of the Indiana State Association of Health Underwriters. She spoke about the first-year impact of the 2010 health reform law and further changes to come.
WellPoint gets vote of confidence
Health reform will make health insurance a less-profitable business, but WellPoint Inc. got a vote of confidence from bond analysts because health-reform rules have turned out milder than expected and WellPoint’s financial performance has been particularly strong as the economy recovers.
Bill Cook, medical device magnate and philanthropist, dies at 80
The founder of Bloomington-based life sciences giant Cook Group Inc. and the wealthiest man in Indiana leaves a legacy of dozens of historic structures saved from decay or demolition. He also was a major donor to Indiana University and its athletics department.
Health insurers diversify away from regulations
One year after President Obama signed the health reform overhaul, health insurers are buying less-regulated companies in a bid to offset the lower profits and growth they expect the law to cause.
Self-funded plans draw small-firm interest
In the face of new health reform restrictions, expect more small employers to opt for self-funded health benefits, concludes a report this week from Indianapolis-based United Benefit Advisors.
Healthy Indiana Plan expansion opposed by some
Indiana wants to use its public health savings account program for low-income adults to cover people who will become newly eligible for Medicaid under the federal health care law beginning in 2014.
Regulators delay approval of Lilly’s Alzheimer’s screen
The Food and Drug Administration said Lilly needs to create a training program to ensure brain scans are interpreted properly.
Trade agency to probe Lilly’s infringement claim
Eli Lilly and Co.’s patent-infringement claim over Hospira Inc.’s generic version of the cancer treatment Gemzar will be investigated by a U.S. trade agency with the power to block imports of the copycat drug.
RATHKE: My saga of staying up to date on health care reform
Human resources used to be about payroll and benefits. Now it’s also about watching Congress.
Indianapolis couple offers seniors a senior housing alternative
Unusual home on south side has a dozen bedrooms for folks who need to give up their own homes.
Hospital systems adopt Starbucks-style service
Indiana University Health is the latest system to drill employees ranging from clerks to physicians in how to treat patients.
Indiana Medicaid mental health list worries advocates
The state budget bill moving through the Indiana General Assembly would save about $7 million each year by creating a list of preferred mental health drugs and trying to win larger rebates from manufacturers.
Lilly confident of FDA approval for Amyvid, Lechleiter says
Eli Lilly and Co. CEO John Lechleiter said he’s confident of gaining U.S. regulatory approval for a drug to help identify plaque in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Q&A: Tony Lennen
Tony Lennen became president of Community Hospital South in 2009, overseeing a 50-bed expansion that was completed last summer, giving the hospital 150 private rooms. The facility, located along the line between Marion and Johnson counties, competes against nearby facilities run by Franciscan St. Francis Health, Indiana University Health and Johnson Memorial Hospital.
Health insurance costs spike worldwide
Think galloping health insurance costs are a problem unique to American employers? Think again. Medical costs paid by employer-focused health insurers rose by an average of 10 percent last year—identical to the United States.
Lilly suffers another bruise from Novo
The failure of its drug Bydureon to match the performance of Novo’s Victoza trims but doesn’t kill sales prospects for the highly touted diabetes drug.
Pharmacist accused of netting $3.5 million through fraud
A Terre Haute pharmacist faces a possible 10-year prison sentence if convicted of health care fraud and money laundering in a scheme that netted him more than $3.57 million.