Deficit committee could bite CNO
Medicare supplement policies are reportedly one of the targets of Congress’ special deficit-reduction committee—and that’s not good news for Carmel-based CNO Financial Group Inc.
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Medical supplier Hill-Rom makes $42M fraud settlement
Hill-Rom Holdings Inc., a medical-equipment company based in Indiana, agreed Tuesday to pay nearly $42 million to settle a government lawsuit. The government had accused the company of knowingly submitting false claims to Medicare from 1999 to 2007.
Missouri health care advocates decry Indiana contractor
Indianapolis-based SynCare LLC, hired to determine the eligibility of Missouri Medicaid patients for in-home care, has "been a complete disaster from the beginning," statewide health care advocates charge.
State appeals injunction blocking abortion law
Indiana's attorney general has appealed a judge's decision blocking part of new abortion law that took away some of the public funding for Planned Parenthood of Indiana.
State gets week to respond in Planned Parenthood case
A federal judge on Friday gave the state of Indiana a week to respond to the Obama administration's decision siding with Planned Parenthood of Indiana in an attempt to block the state's new abortion funding law.
Feds support Planned Parenthood in defunding case
The U.S. Justice Department entered the court battle over a tough new Indiana abortion law that disqualifies Planned Parenthood of Indiana from the Medicaid program, siding with the organization in its request Thursday for a court order blocking the statute as unconstitutional.
WellPoint pays big to tap fast-growing Medicare market
Analysts raised their eyebrows at the $800 million reportedly paid by WellPoint Inc. to acquire a West Coast Medicare plan, but with the commercial health insurance business stagnating, Medicare is vital to WellPoint’s future growth.
WellPoint paying almost $800M for CareMore
Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc. agreed to acquire CareMore Health Group to expand Medicare coverage in California, Arizona and Nevada. The insurer paid almost $800 million, according to people familiar with the deal.
Feds review Indiana law targeting Planned Parenthood
Federal officials said Monday they're taking a hard look at a new Indiana law that withholds some public funding for Planned Parenthood of Indiana, a development that could cost the state some of its Medicaid funding.
Reform could create more ’boutique’ doctors
Health reform could accelerate trend toward two tiers of care, with concierge services like Dr. Matt Priddy offers at the top and long waits and minimal attention at the bottom.
Fee could feed $100M to hospitals
Indiana hospitals could pull in more than $100 million a year from the federal government under a new assessment fee included in the state’s 2011 budget bill.
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.
WellPoint expects employer biz to stagnate
Over the next five years, WellPoint Inc. expects the employer-sponsored insurance business to shrink slightly, forcing it to shift its focus to government-sponsored plans.
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.
Study: Indianapolis high-priced hospital market
Indianapolis-area hospitals have negotiated reimbursement rates with private health insurers that are two and three times higher than those paid by the federal Medicare program, suggesting the hospitals have the upper hand over insurers, according to a new study.
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.
Drugmakers’ ‘doughnut hole’ deal to shave sales
Drugmakers including Pfizer Inc., AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Eli Lilly and Co. may provide more than $2 billion in drug discounts to senior citizens next year under a deal pharmaceutical companies made with the White House.
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.
iSalus sees business boom as docs chase stimulus cash
The company is seeing a rush of new sales for its Web-based electronic medical record system from doctors, who all stand to
receive bonus payments from the federal stimulus act for computerizing their patient records.
WellPoint, other health insurers race to join accountable care groups
The health care industry is responding to reforms that will pay doctors bonuses if they provide high-quality care and save
Medicare money.