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The article reports on the challenges faced by the Roseland Community Medical District in Chicago, Illinois after it was established in 2011 when Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a law that established the medical district. It discusses the use of financial aid from the administration of Quinn in 2013 in order to prevent the closure of the district and an argument raised by the proponents of the district in response to skepticism about the district's contribution to economic development.

The article reports that State Farm insurance agents in the U.S. will sell Obamacare health insurance plans in 2014 as part of the partnership of the parent company of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois with State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. It discusses the details of the partnership which allows Chicago, Illinois-based Health Care Service Corp. to sell the policies through State Farm's various retail locations and the limited products that State Farm can sell under the agreement.

The article features 75-year-old cancer researcher Eliezer Huberman and his company Novadrug LLC, which develops drugs against deadly viruses like Ebola, Marburg and hepatitis C as of September 2014. It claims that the company's compound drugs against Ebola and Marburg were tested to be effective at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Maryland. It presents a brief personal and professional profile of Huberman, including his training as geneticist in Israel.

The article reports developments in the health care market in Chicago, Illinois as of late September 2014, particularly the mergers of major hospitals and their effects on independent and smaller industry players. Cited as example is the planned merger between Advocate Health Care and Northshore University HealthSystem. Among the stand-alone hospitals are Northwest Community Hospital and Silver Cross Hospital. The opinion of health care consultant Don Hamilton on the developments is cited.

The article offers information on the Esophageal Cooling Device created by chemical engineer Erik Kulstad and manufactured by his medical products company Advanced Cooling Therapy Inc.

The article discusses the impact of health care plans under the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare on most drugs for common chronic ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Topics covered include the prices of specialty drugs like Lantus and Humira, the efforts of employers in reducing their spending on the drugs under the health care plans for their employees and their family members, and the efforts of different companies in limiting their spending on drugs.

The article discusses the concern of hospitals in Chicago, Illinois with energy costs as of August 2014. Topics covered include the efforts of Advocate Health Care, NorthShore University HealthSystem and Swedish Covenant Hospital to save on energy costs, the need of hospitals for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and electricity and natural gas consumption at inpatient health care facilities in 2003 based on the survey of the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The article reports on penalties to be imposed by U.S. national social insurance program Medicare on several hospitals in Illinois in 2015 for excessive number of readmitted patients. Topics mentioned include efforts of the federal government to encourage health care providers to improve quality of care, an overview of Medicare's reduction program as mandated by the Affordable Care Act of 2010, and details of the reimbursement penalties.

The article focuses on Hospira Inc. whose stocks doubled in value from a multiyear low 3-1/2 years ago and rated a "buy" from a "hold" due to its healthy first half and improved outlook. Topics discusses include Hospira's prospects in biosimilars, generic copies of hard-to-make drugs that are based on cellular material, its plans to submit its first application for a biosimilar in late 2014 or 2015 and Hospira's plans to acquire Danone SA's medication nutrition unit for 5 billion U.S. dollars.

The article focuses on the collaboration between biopharmaceutical company AbbVie Inc. and drug manufacturer Shire PLC. Topics discussed include the structuring of the merged companies as an inversion, the incorporation of the companies in Jersey island, and the views of Robert Parkinson, chief executive officer (CEO) of healthcare company Baxter International Inc. regarding merger inversion.

The article focuses on Sagent Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Schaumburg, Illinois. Topics discussed include the company develops and distributes generic injectable medicines, chief executive officer (CEO) Jeff Yordon, and the revenue of the company was boosted by its three cancer drugs. Also mentioned company's partner Chengdu Kanghong Pharmaceuticals Group Co. Ltd.

The article focuses on the surplus of Health Care Service Corp. which is substantial that other nonprofit organizations in the U.S. Topics include the growth of the company's assets net of liabilities by 12%, the required license for the brand of the Blue Cross, a medical and travel insurance provider, and the impact of the implementation of the Obamacare in the company.

The article reports on the launch of pharmaceutical research company Abbvie Inc.'s treatment for the liver disease hepatitis C in the fourth quarter of 2014 to compete with biotechnology company Gilead Sciences Inc.'s Sovaldi. Topics discussed include Abbvie treatment's features and characteristics, profit estimates for the treatment and the increased insurers' bill. Also mentioned is the full coverage provided by U.S. social health care program Medicaid for using Sovaldi.

The article reports on the Cook County Health & Hospital Systems' awarding of a 1.8 billion dollar contract to IlliniCare Health Plan Inc. to operate the Medicaid managed care plan CountyCare in Cook County, Illinois. Topics discussed include the contract's approval in March 2014 with IlliniCare as the sole bidder for the contract, the possible reasons why the county's request for proposal drew little interest from other vendors, and an overview of the CountyCare health system.

The article focuses on the lessons learned by the state of Illinois in the first six months of the Affordable Care Act, as of March 2014. To date, 6 million people across the U.S. had selected plans since the exchanges opened. In Illinois, 114,000 people had signed up for commercial insurance plans on the public exchange, about 13 percent of the estimated 909,000 uninsured who are not eligible for Medicaid.

The article reports on the potential implication of the proposed merger between Illinois-based academic medical center hospital Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and healthcare organization Cadence Health. It explores the steps taken by both hospital systems toward the coordination of care across a variety of settings and providers as well as emphasizes the lack of Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) experience of both systems. Backgrounds of both healthcare providers are given.

The article discusses the changes in the Cook County Health and Hospitals in Illinois under the tenure of outgoing chief executive officer (CEO) Ramanathan Raju. Topics discussed include the CountyCare program which collects a fixed monthly payment per enrolled Medicaid patient, offering of a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan on the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace and candidates to replace Raju including John Jay Shannon and Pete Delgado.

The article offers information on Cook County Circuit Court Judge Lynn Egan, a member of the board of the nonprofit Palos Community Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Topics covered include the cases in which Egan represented Palos, the leadership changes in the hospital, and the need to review the hospital's policies. Also mentioned are the Illinois Supreme Court's Code of Judicial Conduct and the caution for judges against serving on hospital boards.

The article reports on the preference of U.S. hospitals to invest wisely. The author states that it helps hospitals to allot more cash into costly strategic initiatives-constructing buildings, employing physicians and acquiring competitors that have the capacity to support their operations for the long-term. Several hospitals are featured including Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Advocate Health Care and NorthShore Univeristy HealthSystem.

The article reports that Cook County, and other 12 counties in Illinois do not charge cheap coverage of catastrophic health policies on the health insurance exchange of young consumers. It adds that four states in the U.S., including Texas and Florida were not also offering the lowest-cost of the health insurance. It notes that young people are the key to the economics of the insurance exchange wherein almost 2 million people have enrolled nationwide that will uphold until March 31, 2014.

The article reports on the class-action status granted by U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang to several plaintiffs, including the Painters District Council No. 30 Health and Welfare Fund, regarding NorthShore University HealthSystem's acquisition of Highland Park Hospital in 2000. It discusses the 2007 ruling by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against the merger and the 2004 complaint filed by FTC against Northshore. It also mentions the appeal filed by the plaintiffs in January 2012.

The article focuses on the possible increase in consumers' average total cost of coverage offered on the Illinois health insurance exchange. It highlights a federal mandate which push people into the market who have never purchased insurance policies before. It cites a study conducted by the periodical "Crain's" which found that out-of-pocket spending could be more than four times the annual premium. The importance of looking at the full range of potential costs of a plan is also emphasized.

The article profiles Thomas Fisher, vice president of consumer health strategies and research of Health Care Service Corp. and a member of the 2013 "Crain's Chicago Business" 40 Under 40 List.

The article features Iliana Mora, chief operating officer (COO) of Erie Family Health Center Chicago, Illinois and a member of the 2013 "Crain's Chicago Business" 40 Under 40 List.

The article profiles Sameer Badlani, chief medical information officer of University of Chicago Medicine in Chicago, Illinois and a member of "Crain's Chicago Business" 40 Under 40 List for 2013.

The article reports developments in the Chicago Lives Healthy wellness program that was launched by the city government of Chicago, Illinois in 2012 to save on health care coverage of workers through the prevention of chronic illnesses as of mid-November 2013. The program was led Comptroller Amer Ahmad, who later resigned due to indictment on federal corruption charges in Ohio. The opinion of University of Illinois at Chicago professor Robert Kaestner on the program is also cited.

The article discusses developments in the health insurance industry in the U.S. as of mid-November 2013, particularly the growing popularity of high-deductible health plans. Based on the national survey by Mercer LLC, 36% of employers with over 500 staff offered said plans in 2012, up from 14% in 2007. It presents several residents in Illinois who bought said plans, namely, Jane Kaihatsu of Evanston, as well as Todd Cissell and Lisa Carter, both of Chicago.

The article discusses developments in the health insurance industry in the U.S. as of mid-November 2013. It focuses on the introduction of insurance exchanges, where employees can buy coverage using the money provided by their employers. According to strategic consulting firm Booz & Co. principal Akshay Kapure, smaller firms can benefit from the tougher competition in the insurance market and from the larger number of options.

The article reports on federal lawsuits filed by Huron Consulting Group Inc. in Chicago, Illinois in 2013 against Prism Healthcare Partners Ltd, also in Chicago, co-founded by its former chief executive officer, David Shade, and former Huron and Wellspring Partners employees. The lawsuits accuse Prism of false advertising. It mentions the agreement reached between Huron and Prism on October 24, 2013.

The article focuses on Doctor Brian Cole, team physician of the Chicago Bulls, professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois. It discusses his practice in sports medicine, citing star athletes as his major clientele such as Chicago Bull guard Derrick Rose. It also explores his foray into orthopedic surgery, his recognition for his research in cartilage restoration and the business with other peers at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

The article discusses the expected strengthening of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the largest insurer in Illinois, by the state's health insurance exchange program called Get Covered Illinois. It mentions fewer choices that small-business owners will find on the exchange than in the private market. Insurers in the state and in the U.S. that have opted out from the exchange include UnitedHealth Group Inc.

The article reports on the 1 million U.S. dollars initial public offering from Surgical Care Affiliates Inc., an outpatient surgery center company, under the management of chief executive officer Andrew Hayek. The private equity investment firm TPG Capital LP supports the Deerfield-based company, now at 173 branches across Illinois. The proceeds from the stock offering is for the payment of an 811.6 million U.S. dollars loan.

The article focuses on the condition of pharmaceutical industries in the Europe. It says that European revenues has fell during the recession. According to filings in Securities and Exchange Commission, biggest pharmaceutical firms in the continent are situated in the most depressed European countries including Portugal, Italy, and Greece. Moreover, professor Erik Gordon of the University of Michigan, mentions that reduction in government spending is the solution for the economic problem.