Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) began formation in 2012 as part of the Affordable Care Act. An analysis conducted in May of 2014 reports that more than 600 ACOs now exist in the United States today. Even with their growing popularity, many providers are remaining cautious due to the significant investments that need to be made to develop the structure required for an ACO.

More and more, the healthcare marketplace is placing increased importance on patient satisfaction and quality care. As such, compensation models for physicians are increasingly emphasizing the importance of achieving certain patient satisfaction and quality-care metrics.

The PCORI fee is due July 31, 2014, from health insurers and the plan sponsors of self-insured plans. The fee is paid annually using Form 720, Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return. Please note that electronic filing is available, but not required. Payment will be due at the time the Form 720 is due.

The Indianapolis Business Journal and Conexus Indiana recently hosted The State of Manufacturing and Logistics: High Tech Is Here … Is Indiana Ready? At the event, Dr. Michael J. Hicks of Ball State University unveiled the annual Manufacturing and Logistics National Report, which grades the health of manufacturing across the country by evaluating the following categories in each state.

Tim Almack, partner in charge of Katz, Sapper & Miller’s Transportation Services Group, discusses the KSM & McLeod Software Operations Performance Benchmarking Project, which aims to provide an operations level benchmark for the trucking industry. The deadline for submissions to be included in the benchmark report is July 1.

Jim White of Katz, Sapper & Miller’s Restaurant Services Group recently attended NRA Show 2014, hosted by the National Restaurant Association, from May 17-20 in Chicago, Ill. Breakout sessions offered tips, tools and expert advice on a variety of subjects, while the show floor showcased the latest technology and trends in the restaurant industry.

Time is running out to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Simply put, if individuals do not sign up for a health insurance plan by Monday, March 31 2014, they might have to wait nine (9) months for coverage. The next Open Enrollment is Nov. 15, 2014 through Jan. 15, 2015. If an individual waits until November to sign up, the earliest they could get coverage would be Jan. 1, 2015.

As of March 13, 2014, and just a few weeks left until the end of open enrollment, more than 4.2 million Americans have enrolled in private health insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Healthcare consumers are in the driver’s seat in today’s healthcare marketplace.

If you are like me, then you assume that software piracy only affects software development companies and the software industry. You don't associate it with manufacturing, much less think about it negatively impacting the manufacturing industry as a whole. I was therefore surprised when I saw a recent study completed by Harvard Business School (HBS) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) which discussed the impact that stolen software has on U.S. manufacturing.

Last Friday, TechPoint released the Technology Workforce Report: Employment Trends and the Demand for Computer-Related Talent in Central Indiana, the results of a study funded by the Lilly Endowment and Katz, Sapper & Miller. The report proved what many area businesses have long suspected.