Articles

Health insurers could pay $16.5M in rebates

Health insurance customers in Indiana will get an estimated $16.5 million in rebates this year, but the average amount received per person will be less than the national average and less than 3 percent of the total cost of coverage.

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IU doc group becomes Eskenazi Medical

A group of 123 doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants have formed the Eskenazi Medical Group in order to focus on maximizing patient care and related bonus payments at Wishard Health Services.

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Trend lines look good for WellPoint

More people have jobs and yet the use of health care remains stagnant—which should drive nice profits when WellPoint Inc. reports first-quarter earnings on Wednesday. The trends even have some wondering if consumer-driven health plans are finally starting to make a real difference in Americans’ health care spending habits.

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Q&A

Sam Gibbs is president of eHealth Government Solutions, part of California-based eHealthInsurance Services Inc. The company, founded in 1997, pioneered the sale of health insurance over the Internet. Gibbs spoke about the options for public and private health insurance exchanges, including the state-based exchanges mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

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Is health care bubble about to burst?

Citigroup economist writes that U.S. health care sector "reminds us somewhat ominously of the bubble in housing finance" because public spending is fueling private profits.

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Past support of health care mandate haunts Lugar

Like many Senate Republicans who have spent a few decades in Washington, U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar was for the individual health care mandate before he was against it. Two decades later, the policy is a near heretical stance among the party’s conservative base, and it threatens to derail Lugar’s reelection bid.

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Economy could lift drug, device firms

The U.S. economy is showing signs of bouncing back and, if it does, look for drugmakers and medical-device companies to benefit. But if the economy has another summer stall like last year, expect health insurers to benefit.

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Gallagher sees more broker mergers coming

The Carmel office of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. just made its sixth acquisition in five years, and it expects looming changes to tax and health laws to produce even more chances to snap up benefits brokers this year.

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Poll: Anthem so-so in customer satisfaction

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield ranked No. 12 in a new national customer satisfaction survey, but the poor showing doesn’t appear to threaten the Indianapolis-based company’s business success.<

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Hoosiers like parts of health reform law

As it is in the rest of the country, the 2010 health reform in Indiana continues to be unpopular, unlikely to be repealed and uncertain to put a dent in health spending, according to a poll of Hoosiers released last week by Ball State University.

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Brokers’ hopes dashed by feds

The Obama administration on Friday let stand an earlier rule that said brokers’ fees will have to count toward a 15-percent to 20-percent cap on administrative expenses placed on insurance plans by the 2010 health overhaul.

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Feds reject Indiana request for health care exemption

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday rejected Indiana's bid for an exemption from federal health care overhaul rules that require insurers selling policies to individuals to essentially dedicate 80 percent of the premiums they collect to medical care.

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Brokers get hope on commissions

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners passed a resolution Nov. 22 that urges Congress and the Obama administration to exclude benefits brokers’ commissions from the new requirement that insurers spend only 15 percent to 20 percent of the premiums they collect on administration and profits.

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