Friday Five: Top 5 healthcare business news items from the MCOL Weekend edition

By Claire Thayer, July 20, 2018

Every business day, MCOL posts feature stories making news on the business of health care. Here are five we think are particularly important for this week:

Top News From the Past Week as reported from key news services, and compiled by MCOL

Doctors Raise Alarm About Shortages Of Pain Medications

In hospitals across the country, anesthesiologists and other doctors are facing significant shortages of injectable opioids.

NPR

Friday, July 20, 2018

Merck joins the list of drug makers agreeing to freeze or lower some prices

As political pressure on the pharmaceutical industry builds, Merck has become the latest big drug maker to commit to halting price hikes.

Stat News

Thursday, July 19, 2018

CMS plots path forward for Kentucky work requirements after court setback

The Trump administration is redoubling efforts to allow Kentucky to impose controversial Medicaid work requirements after a federal court halted its attempt to overhaul the safety-net program three weeks ago.

Politico

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Walmart Names Humana Veteran to Run Its Health and Wellness Unit

Walmart Inc. has hired a former senior executive at insurer Humana Inc. to run its health-care business, a move that could reignite speculation that the two companies will forge a closer partnership.

Bloomberg

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Health Insurers Are Vacuuming Up Details About You — And It Could Raise Your Rates

To an outsider, the fancy booths at a June health insurance industry gathering in San Diego, Calif., aren't very compelling: a handful of companies pitching "lifestyle" data and salespeople touting jargony phrases like "social determinants of health."

NPR

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

These and more weekly news items on the business of healthcare are featured in the MCOL Weekend edition, along with the MCOL Tidbits, and more, for MCOL Premium level members.