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

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: 

$16B veterans' health project hits major snag

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie insisted last week that the Trump administration is "on track" with a $16 billion project to connect medical records for the military and vets.

Politico

Friday, August 23, 2019 

Dialysis Industry Spends Big To Protect Profits

The dialysis industry spent about $2.5 million in California on lobbying and campaign contributions in the first half of this year in its ongoing battle to thwart regulation, according to a California Healthline analysis of campaign finance reports filed with the state.

Kaiser Health News

Friday, August 23, 2019 

Opioid Treatment Is Used Vastly More in States That Expanded Medicaid

States that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act have seen a much bigger increase in prescriptions for a medication that treats opioid addiction than states that chose not to expand the program, a new study has found.

NY Times

Thursday, August 22, 2019 

Exclusive: Cigna seeks sale of group benefits insurance business - sources

U.S. health insurer Cigna Corp is exploring a sale of its group benefits insurance business, which could be valued at as much as $6 billion, four people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Reuters

Wednesday, August 21, 2019 

The Collapse Of A Hospital Empire — And Towns Left In The Wreckage

The money was so good in the beginning, and it seemed it might gush forever, right through tiny country hospitals in Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and into the coffers of companies controlled by Jorge A. Perez, his family and business partners.

Kaiser Health News

Tuesday, August 20, 2019 

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.