Preventable medical errors hit new high in Indiana
New data released from the Indiana State Department of Health shows that the state has set another record for medical errors.
Health & Insurance
Articles
Health law penalty on uninsured getting stiffer
The math is harsh: The federal penalty for having no health insurance is set to jump to $695, and the Obama administration is being urged to highlight that cold fact to help drive its new pitch for health law sign-ups.
Rogue nurse prompts call to revisit privacy rulings
Noting technology is advancing faster that privacy law, an Indiana Court of Appeals judge is urging the Indiana Supreme Court to revisit precedent regarding invasion of privacy claims.
Congress passes bill easing small business health law rules
Congress approved bipartisan legislation Thursday aimed at preventing premium increases that some smaller businesses were expecting next year under President Barack Obama's health care law.
Lawsuit alleges Crown Hill illegally solicited people in hospitals, care facilities
Indiana’s largest cemetery illegally made direct solicitations to people in hospitals, mental health facilities and other care settings, alleges a class-action lawsuit filed Monday in Indianapolis.
Hospital group favors raising limit on medical malpractice damages
Proposals to increase the state-imposed $1.25 million cap on damages in medical malpractice cases have some unlikely supporters: Indiana hospitals.
Indy nonprofit, law firm help curb childhood diseases
Lauren Braun has been helping safeguard the health of children in impoverished countries for years. A small band she’s developed could bring those efforts full circle with a pro bono assist from a small band of Indianapolis lawyers.
Indiana clears Planned Parenthood of wrongdoing after videos
Indiana on Thursday cleared Planned Parenthood facilities that perform abortions in the state of any wrongdoing in the handling of fetal tissue.
Lawyers applaud proposed changes to child support guidelines
The passage and implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act is underlying a proposal to rid Indiana’s child support guidelines of a loophole and complicated health insurance worksheet.
Involuntary commitment vacated for lack of evidence
An Indianapolis woman was improperly ordered committed for mental illness, but there was insufficient evidence she was gravely disabled, a panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday. The decision further emphasizes the need for clear and convincing evidence of grave disability to support a commitment.
The ACA lives on: Supreme Court maintains the status quo
Like a cat with nine lives, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has survived its second trip to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Community Health to pay $20M to settle false claims charges
Community Health Network has agreed to pay $20.3 million to settle claims from state and federal authorities that it overbilled for outpatient surgeries, according to an announcement Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Justice.
MDL panel picks California for Anthem lawsuits
Indianapolis law firms that filed suit against the insurance giant after massive cyberbreach are surprised cases won’t be tried in Indiana
SCOTUS upholds nationwide health care law subsidies
The Supreme Court of the United States on Thursday upheld the nationwide tax subsidies under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, in a ruling that preserves health insurance for millions of Americans.
Former nursing home employee faces forgery, fraud charges
A former employee at a southeastern Indiana nursing home faces charges alleging that she bilked the home's elderly residents out of nearly $10,000 in Medicare funds.
Care facility’s petition for judicial review barred by res judicata
A Merrillville nursing facility’s third petition seeking judicial review of the state Department of Health’s decision to deny a full license to the facility was barred by a previous petition for judicial review of the matter, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled.
How law firms use Facebook and other data to track down medical victims
For ambulance chasers, persistence and a phone book just don’t cut it anymore. Law firms, which once relied on television commercials, billboards, and cold calling numbers in the white pages to find plaintiffs for medical lawsuits, have begun to embrace technology. To locate their ideal pharma victims more quickly and at lower costs, they're using data compiled from Facebook, marketing firms, and public sources, with help from digital bounty hunters.
Fallout from Supreme Court case on Obamacare could be ‘ugly’
A Supreme Court ruling due in a few weeks could wipe out health insurance for millions of people covered by President Barack Obama's health care law. But it's Republicans — not White House officials — who have been talking about damage control.
Parents of autistic children gird for showdown with Anthem
A showdown is brewing over autism therapy in Indiana. After an Elkhart couple with an autistic son sued Indianapolis-based health insurer Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in April, autism families around the state have started a campaign to get Anthem to change its policy for covering therapy for school-age children.
Do-over expected to bring same result in contraception case
In a second round of oral arguments regarding the University of Notre Dame’s challenge to the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals not only remained dubious of the school’s assertions but also seemed perplexed as to why the case came back to the court.