New Indiana program addresses maternal opioid crisis
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb joined state health officials Monday in announcing a new program that targets opioid addiction among mothers and newborns.
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Indiana cities, counties sue over opioid epidemic
Dozens of Indiana towns, cities and counties have sued drugmakers and distributors, joining more than 500 nationwide who claim pharmaceutical giants disregarded the risks of the addiction by placing profits above public health.
Patients, doctors concerned about new Indiana opioid limits
Some patients and doctors in Indiana are worried that increased restrictions imposed in response to the national opioid epidemic may reduce access to necessary medication.
Anesthesia provider gets no relief in noncompete appeal
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the denial of injunctive relief in a fraud case stemming from the alleged breach of a non-compete clause by two anesthesia service providers who worked at Marion General Hospital. The COA found evidentiary support for the trial court’s decision.
Indiana House passes abortion information bill
A doctor who treats a woman for complications arising from an abortion would have to report new and more detailed information about the patient to the state, under a bill approved by the Indiana House on Wednesday.
Indiana joins new effort to end Obamacare
Indiana has joined a 20-state coalition in a renewed attempt to overturn the Affordable Care Act, arguing the changes to the individual mandate brought by the 2017 tax reform render the entire healthcare law unconstitutional.
Hill announces annual Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium
The office of Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has announced the ninth annual Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium for later this year. The symposium aims to provide an atmosphere for frank, candid discussion about substance abuse and addiction.
Future of CBD sales still unclear after 2-hour testimony
The future of the sale of cannabidiol, or CBD, oil in Indiana remains unknown after an Indiana senator declined to call for a vote on two bills that would legalize the sale of the substance if certain specifications are met.
Notre Dame Law School clinic secures disease detection patent
Detecting cancers and cardiovascular diseases now may be a bit easier thanks to a new patent secured by the Notre Dame Law School’s Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic. The portable invention may help doctors detect such serious diseases faster and more economically by using biomarkers.
Two ex-nursing home execs to plead guilty in kickback scheme
Two former executives with a company that operates dozens of Indiana nursing homes have agreed to plead guilty in a kickback scheme involving millions of dollars. Court documents unsealed this week show that former American Senior Communities CEO James Burkhart and former Chief Operating Officer Daniel Benson, both 52, have reached plea deals.
No jail for fertility doctor who lied about using own sperm
A retired Indianapolis fertility doctor accused of inseminating patients with his own sperm will serve no jail time after pleading guilty Thursday to charges that he lied to investigators.
Justices to decide if med-mal case must be dismissed on free speech grounds
The future of a medical malpractice complaint against a doctor who reported suspected child abuse in her patient will be decided by the justices of the Indiana Supreme Court, who must determine whether the doctor’s report was protected by an Indiana free speech statute.
Indiana stores see spike in marijuana-derived oil sales
Stores selling marijuana-derived oils in central Indiana are seeing a spike in sales after the state’s attorney general declared the products illegal with one limited exception.
Medicine as a public good topic of McKinney book talk, CLE
Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law professor Fran Quigley will speak about his latest book, “Prescription for the People: An Activist’s Guide to Making Medicine Affordable for All,” the school announced Wednesday.
Lawsuit targets Trump’s rollback of birth-control rule
Two national advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit in Indiana on Tuesday challenging a rule change by President Donald Trump's administration allowing more employers to opt out of no-cost birth control for workers.
Doctor must face civil trial in 2013 Lake County Jail death
A physician must face trial on a federal lawsuit alleging he was deliberately indifferent to the physical and mental illnesses of a man who died in 2013 after spending nearly four months in the Lake County Jail awaiting trial.
Indiana sheriff fighting ex-inmate’s $1.8M hospital bill
An Indiana sheriff says he'll fight a $1.8 million bill for a former jail inmate's four-month hospital stay.
HHS to reconsider reimbursement of loan to Randolph Co. hospital
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must revisit the issue of reimbursement of a refinanced loan made to a Randolph County hospital after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals determined the federal agency failed to adequately explain why it rejected reimbursement that loan.
Big Pharma’s tobacco moment as star lawyers push opioid suits
Big Pharma is having a Big Tobacco moment as litigation over opioids attract star lawyers and a growing list of states and local governments seeking their own multibillion-dollar payout to deal with costs of a burgeoning drug epidemic.
Indiana county bars funding for needle exchange program
Officials in a central Indiana county have effectively ended its needle exchange program by cutting off funding for the two-year-old program.