Daniels’ budget proposal wouldn’t cut hearing aids
State budget director Adam Horst said he misspoke when he told the State Budget Committee last week that Daniels&’ proposal would eliminate Medicaid coverage for hearing aids.
Medicaid
Articles
Indiana Medicaid cuts likely to be followed by more
The Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning has approved a series of emergency rules that it expects to save a total of $4.1 million over the next six months, but that will make up for only a small portion of the $31.4 million shortfall the agency anticipates for the fiscal year.
Indiana may cut Medicaid services to check costs
The state Medicaid actuary projected Indiana’s share of the program’s costs will rise by about $1.46 billion this fiscal year, by about $1.84 billion in the 2012 fiscal year and by about $2 billion in the 2013 fiscal year unless some services are cut.
Rising Medicaid costs for Indiana mean service cuts likely
Indiana lawmakers likely will cut some Medicaid-provided services in the upcoming legislative session after learning Wednesday that the state’s share of government health insurance program costs will balloon by $1.1 billion over the next two years unless checked.
St. Francis-WellPoint deal is a sign of the times
St. Francis, which operates three Indianapolis-area hospitals, and WellPoint, the giant health insurer, announced this month that they have agreed to jointly form an accountable care organization.
Audit: Indiana owes feds $39M for Medicaid
A federal audit recommends that Indiana's human services agency refund the federal government nearly $39 million it overpaid to Medicaid providers during a nine-year period.
WellPoint gets $87M Medicare contract renewal
The company said the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services renewed its durable medical equipment administrative contract for a region that covers Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
State seeks to grow health plan once thought doomed
Indiana is talking to federal officials about expanding its health plan for low-income adults, despite Gov. Mitch Daniels'
statements that the federal health care overhaul would kill it.
Indiana gets $2.3M for electronic health records
Medicaid Director Pat Casanova says the money will be used for necessary state steps to create an incentive program for medical
providers and hospitals to move from paper records to electronic ones.
Indiana Medicaid chief: Feds leave states in dark
Indiana and other states face a struggle as they grapple with putting the health care changes into place in a relatively short
span of time while they also contend with the economic downtown and strained state budgets.
Health care reform bringing changes to Caregivers
Caregivers anticipates coping with declining Medicare reimbursements while having to offer insurance to its employees.
Medicare cuts hit doctors as Congress feuds
Physician offices will begin receiving payments from the Medicare that are 21.3-percent below
what they’ve been getting so far this year. Doctors still expect Congress to reverse the payment cuts, but physicians
and the Medicare program will have to reprocess claims, costing both extra money.
SynCare withdraws abatement request
Locally based SynCare LLC has withdrawn a request for a property tax abatement tied to the creation of 114 jobs. SynCare owner
Stephanie DeKemper said she pulled the request to ensure the employment projections are accurate.
Health care firm plans to create 114 jobs
SynCare LLC’s expansion hinges on city approval of property tax abatement. The Metropolitan Development Commission is set
to vote on the request Wednesday.
Lawmaker: Maybe Indiana should drop out of Medicaid
Senate Appropriations Chairman Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, said the costs to Indiana for health reform will be so great that
the state should consider the drastic step of creating another option to Medicaid.
Study: Quality, costs better at big practices
As physician mergers increase in Indianapolis, a new study has determined that quality at large, multispecialty practices is at
least 5 percent higher and costs are 3.6 percent lower than at small group practices.
Indiana freezes some medical savings account rolls
The new federal health care bill will put 500,000 more Indiana residents on Medicaid and lead to higher state taxes, Gov.
Mitch Daniels said Monday, but a government insurance proponent said it will help families and businesses.
Bill kicks off years of change for local health care players
Sweeping changes phase in slowly for most, but insurers, hospitals, drug companies, employers, workers, medical device makers
and more will eventually feel impact.
Reform offers risk, opportunities for Lilly, WellPoint
Drugmakers and insurers could gain millions of customers under the legislation, but the industry also will pay new fees and
face stricter rules that may shrink profit and fuel mergers.
Congress passes historic health care bill
To pay for the changes, the legislation includes more than $400 billion in higher taxes over a decade, roughly half of it
from a new Medicare payroll tax on individuals with incomes over $200,000 and couples over $250,000.