Cook Medical legal battle one of largest in state history
The sprawling case against Cook Medical, the Bloomington-based maker of medical devices, has ballooned into one of the largest and longest civil actions in Indiana history.
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J&J, distributors finalize $26B landmark opioid settlement
Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and three major distributors finalized nationwide settlements over their role in the opioid addiction crisis Friday, an announcement that clears the way for $26 billion to flow to nearly every state and local government in the U.S.
COA invites justices to ‘dispel confusion’ in medical privacy case
A woman claiming she experienced invasion of privacy after someone other than her doctor accessed her medical records and shared them with her employer did not sway the Court of Appeals of Indiana differently on its second time hearing the case.
St. Vincent wants judge to order investigators to cooperate in case of fired physician
St. Vincent Medical Group wants to know more about why and when the federal government began investigating a Carmel doctor it fired in 2020, and has asked a federal judge to order the Department of Justice help it get to the bottom of the matter.
Ex-ambulance service owner gets probation in fraud case
The former owner of a northwest Indiana ambulance service has avoided prison after pleading guilty in a health care fraud case that cost the government of millions of dollars.
US faces wave of omicron deaths in coming weeks, models say
The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing and modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March.
Indiana surgeon suspected of working under influence of alcohol, cocaine faces sanctions
The Indiana State Medical Association wants a federal judge to allow it to turn over confidential records to the state licensing board regarding a surgeon suspected of working under the influence of cocaine and alcohol.
Businesses react to ruling against Biden vaccine mandate
For companies that were waiting to hear from the U.S. Supreme Court before deciding whether to require vaccinations or regular coronavirus testing for workers, the next move is up to them.
Supreme Court halts COVID-19 vaccine rule for US businesses
The Supreme Court has stopped the Biden administration from enforcing a requirement that employees at large businesses be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing and wear a mask on the job. At the same time, the court is allowing the administration to proceed with a vaccine mandate for most health care workers in the U.S.
Second physician denied preliminary reprieve from Ascension’s vaccine mandate
A family physician who claims she has “31 pregnant patients” relying on her to deliver their babies is still prohibited from practicing at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital after the Southern Indiana District Court denied her motion to have her privileges reinstated while she continues to battle the medical facility’s vaccine requirement.
Justices reverse for Clark REMC in dispute over health benefits for former employees
Former Clark County REMC directors weren’t guaranteed health insurance reimbursement in their retirement after a policy change terminated the benefit, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled. In a Wednesday opinion, the high court reversed Clark Circuit Court’s grant of summary judgment to the plaintiffs after finding the REMC’s policy was not a binding contract because the policy wasn’t an offer.
Holcomb ‘stunned’ by Rokita’s suggestion that pandemic stats are inflated
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb slammed Attorney General Todd Rokita for comments he made in an interview this month suggesting the state is inflating its COVID-19 numbers.
U.S. officials recommend shorter COVID isolation, quarantine
U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation recommendations for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine.
Pfizer pill becomes 1st US-authorized home COVID treatment
U.S. health regulators on Wednesday authorized the first pill against COVID-19, a Pfizer drug that Americans will be able to take at home to head off the worst effects of the virus.
COVID-19 omicron variant confirmed in 1st Indiana patient
Tests have confirmed Indiana’s first known case of the COVID-19 omicron variant, state health officials announced Sunday.
Indiana lawmakers take up vaccine limits amid COVID-19 surge
Some Indiana doctors and health experts warned Thursday that a Republican-backed proposal aimed at limiting workplace COVID-19 vaccination requirements would hurt efforts to stem the illness as the state’s hospitals are strained with their highest-ever overall patient counts.
Health worker vaccine mandate blocked in half the states
A federal appeals court panel on Wednesday lifted a nationwide ban against President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for health care workers, instead blocking the requirement in only certain states and creating the potential for patchwork enforcement across the country.
Methodist Sports Medicine changes name in wake of lawsuit
Physician group Methodist Sports Medicine announced Tuesday that it has changed it to Forte Sports Medicine and Orthopedics following a lawsuit filed against it last month by Indiana University Health claiming trademark infringement and unfair competition.
Data indicate omicron is milder, better at evading vaccines
The omicron variant appears to cause less severe disease than previous versions of the coronavirus, and the Pfizer vaccine seems to offer less defense against infection from it but still good protection from hospitalization, according to an analysis of data from South Africa, where the new variant is driving a surge in infections.
Hospitalizations from COVID-19 reach highest mark since last year
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Indiana have reached their highest level since late last year, according to the latest figures from the Indiana State Department of Health.