James D. Wolf Jr.
Staff Reporter May 8, 2021 1 of 4
The room where chemo drugs are mixed and stored at Logansport Memorial Hospital as seen on Thursday, April 29, 2021 in Logansport.
Photos by Jonah Hinebaugh | Pharos-Tribune
Chemotherapy drugs are stored in a refrigerated container inside Logansport Memorial Hospital’s pharmacy unit on Thursday, April 29, 2021 in Logansport.
Jonah Hinebaugh | Pharos-Tribune
Supplies, a refrigerated storage container and ventilation hood are seen in a room where chemotherapy drugs are mixed at Logansport Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 29, 2021 in Logansport.
Jonah Hinebaugh | Pharos-Tribune
Perry Gay
LOGANSPORT The theory is that white bagging insurance companies requiring hospitals to use a specific specialty pharmacy for intensive treatments instead of the hospitals using their own resources will save money while not changing patient care.
May 6, 2021
The theory is that white bagging insurance companies requiring hospitals to use a specific specialty pharmacy for intensive treatments instead of the hospitals using their own resources will save money while not changing patient care.
Hospitals in Indiana are finding out that isn’t the reality when it comes to chemotherapy.
On April 1, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Indiana, the state’s largest health insurer, began requiring hospitals and clinics to buy chemotherapy drugs from CVS Specialty, a unit of pharmacy giant CVS Health or lower their prices to match CVS.
At Margaret Mary Health in Batesville, for example, every chemotherapy patient has seen a delay in chemotherapy medication delivery, with five patients experiencing a wait of a week or more, said Liz Leising, the hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer and Vice-President of Patient Services.
Credit Justin Hicks / IPB News
More than 2 million Hoosiers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a little more than four months into the state’s rollout. The Indiana Department of Health announced the milestone Wednesday.
Indiana continues to lag slightly behind our immediate neighbors – with IDOH reporting nearly 30 percent of all Hoosiers fully vaccinated.
That compares to 32.6 percent in Kentucky, 33.5 percent in Ohio, 33.3 percent in Michigan and 31.6 percent in Illinois – according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s important to note however, the CDC’s data for Indiana appears to delayed by a few days, while other states are more up-to-date.
Officials said appointments are still preferred and some vaccine providers are booked through May.
Dr. Lindsay Weaver, Indiana Department of Health chief medical officer, said the expansion to walk-ins is partially because demand for vaccines has dropped off and partially to help lower the barrier for Hoosiers to get vaccinated. But almost everyone that we’ve asked said absolutely and are taking walk-ins. And that really means a lot to people who have had difficulty trying to plan ahead and schedule, Weaver said.
Indiana lags behind the national average for COVID-19 vaccines, with a little more than 28 percent of the state’s total population fully vaccinated. When pointing to more rural zip codes, health officials said they’re working with the Indiana Rural Health Association to help improve vaccination rates.
Credit Alex Paul / WFIU/WTIU News
Steve Lyday spent most of April preparing what would’ve been Morgan County’s largest vaccination clinic.
It was scheduled at Paul Hadley Middle School in Mooresville, an area of the county officials have had trouble serving because of the tight controls on vaccine storage. The state provided 2,400 Moderna doses to be split between two mass clinics: one scheduled for last Saturday and a follow-up effort in May.
“1,200 – that s what we based our entire plan on,” said Lyday, the county’s public health and response coordinator. “And it didn t materialize.”
When Lyday checked the schedule Tuesday, 97 people had signed up. He had 40 medical professionals and volunteers coming to work the clinic. It didn’t make any sense logistically, so the county had to cancel.