Portage schools officials consider health insurance decisions

PORTAGE | Upcoming changes to employee health insurance coverage have Portage Township Schools officials wrangling with how to meet new requirements in the most cost-effective manner.

Top Democrat condemns GOP 'punting' to expand Medicaid eligibility

INDIANAPOLIS | House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, is only half-joking when he describes a new law permitting the sale of uninspected frozen rabbit meat at roadside stands as the jobs bill of the just-concluded 2013 legislative session.

Indiana budget plan cuts taxes by $1.1 billion

INDIANAPOLIS | Despite polls showing Hoosiers want Indiana to invest more in education, roads and other state services, the Republican-controlled General Assembly is poised to enact the largest package of tax cuts in state history.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Losing employer coverage undermines health care law

Federal officials recently made some discouraging predictions about the future of American health care.

EDITORIAL: Provide more health care providers

The phrase "serious health care problem" usually refers to cancer, heart disease and other disorders. There's another looming health care problem that must not be ignored by policymakers, however. The United States is not generating enough new doctors to meet anticipated demand.

Pence signs 'jobs bills' that create no jobs

INDIANAPOLIS | Republican Gov. Mike Pence on Monday signed two "jobs bills" that create zero jobs for the 276,500 Hoosiers currently looking for work.

House puts Medicaid expansion entirely in governor's hands

INDIANAPOLIS | A top House Republican has halted legislation requiring Republican Gov. Mike Pence negotiate with the federal government the terms of an alternative health care plan for low-income Hoosiers, as Pence refuses to expand Medicaid eligibility in Indiana.

House GOP may force Pence to act, not just talk, on health care

INDIANAPOLIS | In a Statehouse filled with Republicans diligently working to undermine implementation of the Affordable Care Act, state Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, is instead seeking a path under the federal law that ensures low-income Hoosiers gain access to low-cost health care.

Pence may be required to negotiate with feds on Medicaid expansion

INDIANAPOLIS | A House committee agreed Monday to require Republican Gov. Mike Pence negotiate with federal officials over a potential expansion of Medicaid eligibility in Indiana.

The Daily Fix

Offering perspective on today's issues

Pence may have free hand in Medicaid negotiations

INDIANAPOLIS | It was always a long-shot that Indiana would expand eligibility for its Medicaid program as directed by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, given the distrust of the federal government by the state's Republican-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. Mike Pence.

Region lawmaker to shape state budget

INDIANAPOLIS | For the first time since 2007, a Northwest Indiana lawmaker will play a significant role in deciding how the state spends some $30 billion over the next two years.

Industry group: Health care reform still a mystery

INDIANAPOLIS | As health care reform unfolds in the United States, people associated with the industry still have unanswered questions.

Republican leaders pessimistic on Medicaid expansion

INDIANAPOLIS | Barring an epiphany by Republican leaders at the Statehouse, Indiana appears likely to become one of just a few states nationwide refusing to expand its Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act.

Senate approves conditional Medicaid expansion

INDIANAPOLIS | Debate and discussion over whether Indiana will expand its Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act will continue for at least the next two months.

Medicaid expansion doesn't get House vote

INDIANAPOLIS | The House did not vote prior to a Monday deadline on legislation to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act using the Healthy Indiana Plan as a model.

Small business owners learn about Affordable Care Act

HAMMOND | A group of small-business owners gathered Thursday to hear about the changing landscape of health care.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Working together to improve health outcomes

Every day, patients and those who care for them must make important decisions about their health care. There are many options to choose from, and too often we do not have reliable information to make good decisions.

What does the Affordable Care Act mean for you?

These next two years are important years in health care, with several provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act taking effect.

NWI needs health facilities, better data

All who are interested in health or health care in Northwest Indiana should read the section on health in the 2012 Quality of Life Indicators report. This, among other studies, points to Northwest Indiana as one the areas of the state where citizens rank lowest in categories commonly used as…