The Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration Pushes Conservative Goals In Health-Care Market Changes
The Trump administration wants any congressional plan to shore up the Affordable Care Act markets to include conservative goals, such as letting insurers charge higher premiums to older people, according to a memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The memo encourages lawmakers to pass measures including allowing insurers to charge older people five times as much as younger people, expanding access to health savings accounts and increasing the amount of money that people can contribute to them, as well as supporting a permanent congressional appropriation for subsidies to insurance companies who decrease deductibles and copays for lower-income consumers in exchange for explicit exclusions on abortion coverage by those insurers. (Armour and Radnofsky, 3/6)

The Hill: White House Pushes For Conservative Changes To ObamaCare Fix
“Although congressional efforts to provide taxpayer money to prop up the exchanges is understandable, any such efforts must also provide relief to middle-class families harmed by the law and protect life,” the memo states. “In order to support such efforts, the administration believes these three policies to provide greater choice and control for middle-class families must be included.” (Sullivan, 3/6)

Politico: White House Pitch To Bolster Obamacare Includes Tough Trade-Offs For Democrats
The document indicates the administration will support congressional efforts to prop up the wobbly marketplaces, in exchange for significantly expanding short-term health plans and loosening other insurance regulations. The document also makes several references to abortion language that will be problematic for Democrats. A potential stumbling block in passing any stabilization package is whether conservatives will insist on including language prohibiting the use of government dollars to pay for abortions. (Demko, 3/6)

CQ: Key Republican Raises Questions About Market Stabilization Bill
A key House Republican downplayed the chances of Congress passing bills to stabilize the health insurance markets during a conversation at a conference hosted by CQ Roll Call on Tuesday. A bipartisan cohort of lawmakers is pushing a package of bills that would fund cost-sharing subsidies for low-income Americans and establish a reinsurance program to help with especially expensive patients under the Democrats’ health care law. (Clason, 3/6)

The Hill: Health Groups Push For ObamaCare Funding In Omnibus Package
A coalition of health care providers and insurers on Tuesday called on House and Senate leaders to include additional funding for ObamaCare programs in the upcoming omnibus package to fund the government. “Immediate action is necessary to reduce premiums for individuals and families that purchase coverage on their own,” the groups wrote in the letter. (Weixel, 3/6)

In other news —

Des Moines Register: Iowa Small Employers Could Buy Pre-Obamacare Style Health Insurance
Iowa legislators are moving to give small employers more freedom to band together to buy health insurance for their workers, but a central Iowa expert warns the approach might not offer much shelter from skyrocketing premiums. The “association health plan” proposal, Senate File 2349, passed the Iowa Senate on a 33-17 vote Monday evening. It effectively would allow insurance carriers to resume selling small-employer policies that don’t meet Affordable Care Act rules, such as by not covering maternity care or addiction treatment. (Leys, 3/6)

The New York Times: In Battle Over Future Of Veterans’ Care, Moderation Wins, For Now
In an administration rife with intramural fights, the battle over the Department of Veterans Affairs has stood out, not only for its vitriol but also for its consequences. At stake is the future of the nation’s veterans health care system. For now at least, it appears moderation has prevailed, with the Veterans Affairs secretary, David J. Shulkin, thwarting a pitched conservative push to drive him out. (Fandos and Philipps, 3/6)

In other veterans' health care news —

The Associated Press: Dying Vets Cannot Use Life-Ending Drugs At Many State Homes
Suffering from heart problems, Bob Sloan told his children he wants to use California’s new law allowing life-ending drugs for the terminally ill when his disease becomes too advanced to bear. But then the 73-year-old former U.S. Army sergeant learned that because he lives at the Veterans Home of California at Yountville — the nation’s largest retirement home for veterans — he must first move out. (Watson, 3/7)

Politico: Abstinence Advocate Gets Final Say On Family Planning Dollars
A senior Trump health official who has promoted abstinence will be the final arbiter of which groups receive federal family planning funds — a change from prior years, when a group of officials made the decision, POLITICO has learned. Conservatives have long criticized the $286 million Title X program, which funds family planning services, mostly for low-income women, because it gives money to Planned Parenthood and other groups that provide abortions, even though there is a prohibition on using those dollars for abortions. (Haberkorn, 3/6)

Modern Healthcare: Verma: Meaningful-Use Overhaul Is Coming
CMS Administrator Seema Verma said her agency is planning on overhauling its meaningful-use requirements, after years of provider complaints that the program was too burdensome and hard to implement. Specifically, the CMS is looking to reduce time and compliance costs associated with the program. Verma didn't provide any additional details during her speech at HIMSS' annual conference on Tuesday. A CMS spokesman did not return a request for comment on additional details on when or how meaningful use requirements would be overhauled. (Dickson, 3/6)

And in other news related to the administration —

The Hill: HHS Official To Return To Work After Probe Into Inflammatory Social Media Posts: Report
A top official with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who was placed on leave last month after his history of inflammatory social media posts was revealed, will return to his job this week, according to a new report. Politico reports Jon Cordova, the principal deputy assistant secretary for administration, will return to his position on Wednesday after he was placed on leave last month. (Carter, 3/6)

Politico: HHS Official Who Spread Conspiracy Theories Allowed Back On Job
“Mr. Cordova has expressed sincere and deep apology for those statements and for any harm or injury he may have caused to readers of any of his social media posts,” an HHS spokesperson told POLITICO. ... Cordova, a former Trump campaign staffer, shared false stories about former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and others, CNN reported last month. (Diamond, 3/6)

The New York Times: Spooked By Trump Proposals, Immigrants Abandon Public Nutrition Services
Immigrants hoping for permanent residence are dropping out of public nutrition programs even before prominent elements of the Trump administration’s proposed policy changes are enacted, fearful that participating could threaten their citizenship eligibility or put them at risk for deportation, according to program administrators. Statistics on participation in state and local efforts show fewer people are using an array of food programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (called WIC) as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) and food banks. (Baumgaertner, 3/6)

The Associated Press: White House Wants User-Friendly Electronic Health Records
The Trump administration Tuesday launched a new effort under the direction of presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner to overcome years of problems with electronic medical records and make them easier for patients to use. Medicare will play a key role, eventually enabling nearly 60 million beneficiaries to securely access claims data and share that information with their doctors. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/6)

Bloomberg: Trump Administration Wants To Take On Medical-Records Puzzle
The question of how information from medical records can be shared securely with patients and among different health-care providers has long vexed the industry. While many health-care records have been digitized in the past decade, hospitals and doctors haven’t yet realized broad productivity gains from the transformation. That’s partly because even digital records are often limited to one health-care provider’s system, and competing systems don’t communicate with each other. (Tozzi and Tracer, 3/6)

The Wall Street Journal: CVS Bets Big With $40 Billion Bond Sale
Pharmacy chain CVS Health sold $40 billion of bonds Tuesday to help pay for its acquisition of health insurer Aetna Inc. months before it needs the money, seeking to get ahead of an expected rise in interest rates and a flood of borrowing across the economy. The sale, the largest in two years, showed there is still eager demand from investors for corporate bonds issued by financially strong borrowers. But investors and companies say they are bracing for a sea change in the markets caused by shifts in U.S. monetary and fiscal policy that could penalize prospective debt issuers for waiting. (Wirz, 3/6)

Bloomberg: CVS Borrows $40 Billion For Aetna In Third-Largest Bond Sale 
CVS Health Corp. completed the third-largest corporate bond sale on record to fund its acquisition of Aetna Inc., testing the appetite of a market that’s off to its worst annual start in decades. The pharmacy giant issued $40 billion of investment-grade debt in a nine-part offering, people with knowledge of the matter said. That’s surpassed only by Verizon Communication Inc.’s $49 billion offering in 2013 and Anheuser-Busch InBev SA’s $46 billion sale two years ago. (Smith, 3/6)

The Associated Press: Opioid Overdoses In ERs Up 30 Percent As Crisis Worsens
Emergency rooms saw a big jump in overdoses from opioids last year — the latest evidence the nation's drug crisis is getting worse. A government report released Tuesday shows overdoses from opioids increased 30 percent late last summer, compared to the same three-month period in 2016. The biggest jumps were in the Midwest and in cities, but increases occurred nationwide. (Stobbe, 3/6)

The Washington Post: Emergency Room Data Shows The Opioid Crisis Continues To Accelerate
The 142,557 emergency visits in 45 states marked a nearly 30 percent increase between the third quarter of 2016 and the same period of 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday. In 16 states that have suffered high rates of overdose deaths, the jump was even higher, at 34.5 percent. No region or demographic group was spared, and two states — Wisconsin and Delaware — saw overdose visits to their emergency rooms more than double. (Bernstein, 3/6)

NPR: CDC: Opioid Overdoses Jump 30 Percent In A Year
"We have an emergency on our hands," says acting CDC Director Anne Schuchat. "The fast-moving opioid overdose epidemic continues and is accelerating." The largest regional increase occurred in the Midwest, which saw a 69.7 percent jump in opioid overdoses, according to the report. The jump was driven in part by a 109 percent increase in Wisconsin. Overdoses increased 40.3 percent in the West, 21.3 percent in the Northeast, 20.2 percent in the Southwest and 14 percent in the Southeast. (Stein, 3/6)

The Hill: CDC Data Shows Rapid Increase In ER Visits For Opioid Overdoses 
The report illustrates the depth of the epidemic at a time when Congress is renewing efforts to pass opioid legislation. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is hoping to get a package to the House floor by Memorial Day. (Sullivan, 3/6)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Opioid Overdoses Spiked 28 Percent In Ohio Last Year, CDC Says
A few areas, including Kentucky, noted decreased overdoses. The report said Kentucky's reduction "might be explained by fluctuations in drug supply and warrant confirmation," and small decreases in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island could be "related to implementation of interventions including expansion of access to medication-assisted treatment." (Eaton, 3/6)

Chicago Tribune: Illinois Emergency Rooms See 66 Percent Spike In Opioid Overdose Visits: Report
Illinois emergency rooms experienced a 66 percent jump in opioid overdose visits last year, according to a new report that suggests the epidemic of heroin and prescription painkiller abuse continues to worsen in some states. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released state emergency room data Tuesday in a report that encourages hospitals and health departments to do more to combat outbreaks and prevent repeat overdoses. (Elejalde-Ruiz, 3/6)

The Associated Press: Prescription Opioids Fail Rigorous New Test For Chronic Pain
A yearlong study offers rigorous new evidence against using prescription opioids for chronic pain. In patients with stubborn back aches or hip or knee arthritis, opioids worked no better than over-the-counter drugs or other nonopioids at reducing problems with walking or sleeping. And they provided slightly less pain relief. (Tanner, 3/6)

Los Angeles Times: For All Their Risks, Opioids Had No Pain-Relieving Advantage In A Yearlong Clinical Trial
By some measures, the people using non-opioid drugs such as Tylenol, ibuprofen and lidocaine experienced more pain relief than people using medications like morphine, Vicodin and oxycodone — though the differences weren't large enough to be considered statistically significant. Patients in both groups saw similar improvements in their quality of life. The findings cast doubt on the medical community's "standard approach" of using opioids to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain, the researchers found. (Kaplan, 3/6)

Bloomberg: Opioids No Better Than Common Painkillers As Overdoses Soar
“The fact that opioids did worse is really pretty astounding,” said Roger Chou, an internist at Oregon Health & Science University and the co-author of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines on opioid use for chronic pain, who was not involved in the recent study. “It calls into question our beliefs about the benefits of opioids.” (Langreth, 3/6)

Kaiser Health News: Jury’s In: Opioids Are Not Better Than Other Medicines For Chronic Pain
A few years ago, Renea Molden’s doctors told her they wanted to take her off her opioid pills. It did not sound like good idea to her. “I was mad, I’ll be honest. I was mad. I was frustrated,” said Molden, 40, of Kansas City, Mo. She struggles with fibromyalgia, bulging discs and degenerative disc disease. Her doctors were concerned about her potentially taking hydrocodone for the rest of her life, but to her, the three pills she took each day seemed to be the only way she could make it through work, go shopping or even fix dinner. (Smith, 3/6)

The Hill: McCaskill Accuses Generic Drugmaker Of ‘Stonewalling’
A Democratic senator on Tuesday accused the world’s largest generic drugmaker of “stonewalling” an investigation into the role opioid manufacturers and distributors play in the current drug crisis. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has only provided general information in response to repeated inquiries by her office. (Weixel, 3/6)

Stat: McCaskill Accuses Teva Of 'Stonewalling' Her Probe Into The Opioid Crisis
Last July, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) asked several drug makers and wholesalers to provide various forms of information about the steps they have taken to mitigate the opioid epidemic. But one company, Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA), is “stonewalling,” as far as she is concerned. Instead of turning over documents about monitoring suspicious orders — a key focus of her investigation — Teva responded with two brief letters describing those efforts. And in a second letter sent in October, Teva attorneys maintained the drug maker has been willing to discuss, “at a general level,” the information requested, but acknowledged the company “declined to produce the documents.” (Silverman, 3/6)

And in news from the states —

Stateline: One State Forces Opioid Abusers To Get Help. Will Others Follow?
But here in Tampa, police, health care professionals and families have a powerful legal tool not available in many other places: the 1993 Marchman Act. Families and health care professionals can use the state law to “marchman,” or involuntarily commit people into substance abuse treatment when they are deemed a danger to themselves or others. Although the statute applies to all jurisdictions in the state, court records show that it has been employed in Tampa and surrounding Hillsborough County far more than anywhere else. Hillsborough County accounts for less than 7 percent of the state’s population and more than 40 percent of its Marchman commitments. (Vestal, 3/7)

The Associated Press: City Of Chicago Sues 3 Opioid Distributors
Chicago officials have filed a federal lawsuit against three distributors of opioids, citing "unlawful and unfettered" distribution of the drugs in the city. Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the lawsuit Tuesday. It follows litigation the city filed in 2014 against opioid manufacturers. The new lawsuit was filed against AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corporation. (3/6)

Chicago Sun Times: Chicago Accuses Top Three Distributors Of Opioids Of 'Rampant Over-Prescribing' 
Chicago filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday accusing the top three distributors of opioids of “placing profits over public health” and fueling a public health crisis blamed on “rampant over-prescribing and abuse” of pharmaceutical opioids. Four years ago, Chicago blazed a legal trial with a lawsuit accusing leading opioid manufacturers of knowingly misrepresenting the benefits of opioids, concealing serious addiction risks and targeting the elderly and veterans by making bogus medical claims. (Spielman, 3/6)

Kansas City Star: Not Enough Docs Can Prescribe Suboxone
When people with an opioid addiction call Susan Whitmore's Kansas City non-profit, they're taking the first step toward recovery: admitting they have a problem. So it's frustrating for Whitmore when people who have finally gotten to that point are stymied by what seems like a more straightforward step: finding a doctor who can prescribe drugs that are essential to many addicts quitting opioids. (Marso, 3/7)

NPR: Gun Law Proposed In Florida Would Earmark Money For Mental Health Services
A piece of legislation under consideration in Florida this week has received a lot of attention because of a controversial provision that would allow some teachers to have guns in schools. But the proposed law would also designate an influx of cash for mental health services. The state has seen three mass shootings in 20 months — at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, the Fort Lauderdale airport and now at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. And the need for more mental health funding has come up twice before — with no cash forthcoming. (Ochoa, 3/6)

The Hill: Aetna Donates $200K To Gun Protest March 
Aetna announced on Tuesday that it will donate $200,000 to the gun reform rally “March for Our Lives.” The health insurer said it wants to support action to stop gun violence, but doesn’t oppose responsible gun owners. “I want to emphasize that our actions are not an indictment of responsible, legal gun owners,” Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini said in a statement. “Instead, we are joining others who cannot sit by idly while mass shootings become a part of our everyday life.” (Sanchez, 3/6)

The Associated Press: FDA Clears DNA Test To Spot Cancer Genes, But With Warnings
U.S. regulators have approved the first direct-to-consumer breast cancer gene test. But the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it will require warnings about the limitations of the genetic information from California-based 23andMe. The test, which analyzes DNA from saliva, can only detect three out of more than 1,000 known inherited BRCA gene mutations. It cannot determine a person's overall risk of developing cancer. (3/6)

The New York Times: F.D.A. Approves First Home Testing For 3 Breast Cancer Mutations, With Caveats
The agency’s action on Tuesday permits the testing company, 23andMe, to report results as part of its $199 Health and Ancestry product, which uses DNA from saliva samples to inform customers about their families’ countries of origin, along with information on genetic health risks. There will be no extra charge for the additional reports, which should be available in a few weeks to customers who actively opt in and request to see them, company officials said. (Rabin, 3/6)

The Washington Post: 23andMe Gets FDA Approval To Report Breast Cancer Risk Without A Doctor
The Food and Drug Administration decision is a step forward for the evolving world of consumer genomics. The company can report back the three mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that are the most common in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Those mutations are not the most common BRCA mutations in the broader population. (Johnson, 3/6)

Stat: FDA Approves First Direct-To-Consumer Test For Breast Cancer Risk
Federal regulators approved the first direct-to-consumer test for the BRCA genes, which increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, the agency announced on Tuesday. The test for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, from 23andMe, uses a saliva sample. But it assesses only three of the more than 1,000 known BRCA1/2 mutations, raising concerns that women who are told they do not have any of those variants will be lulled into believing that, as a result, they do not have an elevated risk for breast and ovarian cancer. (Begley, 3/6)

The New York Times: Frail, Old And Dying, But Their Only Way Out Of Prison Is A Coffin
Kevin Zeich had three and a half years to go on his prison sentence, but his doctors told him he had less than half that long to live. Nearly blind, battling cancer and virtually unable to eat, he requested “compassionate release,” a special provision for inmates who are very sick or old. His warden approved the request, but officials at the federal Bureau of Prisons turned him down, saying his “life expectancy is currently indeterminate.” (Thompson, 3/7)

The New York Times: How The Shape Of Your Ears Affects What You Hear
Ears are a peculiarly individual piece of anatomy. Those little fleshy seashells, whether they stick out or hang low, can be instantly recognizable in family portraits. And they aren’t just for show. Researchers have discovered that filling in an external part of the ear with a small piece of silicone drastically changes people’s ability to tell whether a sound came from above or below. But given time, the scientists show in a paper published Monday in the Journal of Neuroscience, the brain adjusts to the new shape, regaining the ability to pinpoint sounds with almost the same accuracy as before. (Greenwood, 3/6)

The New York Times: The Best Way To Monitor Your Blood Pressure? Do It Yourself
The most effective way to monitor blood pressure may be to do it yourself. British researchers randomly assigned 1,003 patients with hypertension to one of three groups. The first took their own readings daily for one week every month over the course of a year and mailed them to a doctor. A second used a phone app, sending their readings to the doctor through a web-based system. A control group was assigned to “usual care,” in which patients had their blood pressure checked at their doctor’s office. The data gathered was used to adjust medication. (Bakalar, 3/6)

Kaiser Health News: Crowded Shelters And The Vicious Flu Brew Perfect Storm For The Homeless
The flu descended on Connie Gabaldon like a fog, she recalled, clouding her mind and compromising her judgment. It progressed to chest and back pain, the aches perhaps made worse by a fall the 66-year-old had while riding the bus in Santa Fe, N.M. Gabaldon is homeless. When she went to the emergency room in late January, doctors told her she also had pneumonia, a sinus infection and the flu. (Heredia Rodriguez, 3/7)

The Washington Post: Hate Your Selfie? There May Be A Good Reason, Says New Study.
How many times have you taken a selfie, only to hate how you looked? You aren’t the only one. It’s common problem, but not everyone is picking a new Instagram filter as a quick-fix. Some people are resorting to expensive surgery in hopes of snapping a better picture, according to a recent survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. (Andrews, 3/7)

San Jose Mercury News: Can Raw Water Make You Sick?
Camping out, sleeping under the stars and waking up to fill your canteen from a beautiful mountain stream. That’s part of the appeal of raw water, which has become the latest trend du jour. It seems like the most natural thing in the world. As the Live Water company puts it, it is “naturally probiotic” and “perfected by nature.” True believers claim that fresh, unadulterated water is chock full of beneficial minerals that you may not get from the tap. As the Washington Post reports, raw water is all the rage here in Silicon Valley where you often pay top dollar (say $15 a gallon) for what some fear may be very bad for you. These pricey bottles of the wet stuff may well be bursting with dangerous bacteria, viruses and parasites that can make you sick. Gulp. (D'Souza, 3/6)

USA Today: Former Cleveland Clinic Doctor's Grand Jury Raises Questions
The grand jury that declined to indict a former Cleveland Clinic surgeon accused of anal rape was given the results of a polygraph the doctor passed, which is so rare that it could justify releasing the proceeding's transcripts, according to Cuyahoga County Judge Michael Donnelly. The Ohio Supreme Court adopted a new rule to promote transparency where transcripts can be obtained when the public's interest to know outweighs grand jury secrecy. Donnelly says he's never heard of polygraph evidence being introduced by a defendant in a grand jury proceeding in his 25 years in the legal profession. (O'Donnell, 3/6)

Sacramento Bee: Planned Parenthood California Staffs Up, Swings Back At Trump Administration
Sacramento attorney Maggy Krell was fighting a high-profile internet sex trafficking case on behalf of the state of California when she made an unexpected career decision: She left her position as a prosecutor for the attorney general to join Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California as its chief legal counsel. Krell had spent months putting together a case against Backpage.com, a site she argued was little more than a platform for digital pimping, often facilitating prostitution of underage girls. She was in the middle of the litigation. It was a trial she was passionate about, one that had raised her profile statewide after an unsuccessful run for Sacramento District Attorney in 2014. (Magagnini, 3/7)

The Associated Press: Mississippi Governor Says He Supports 15-Week Abortion Ban
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is indicating he will sign a bill that would set the earliest abortion ban in the United States. Senators voted 35-14 Tuesday to pass House Bill 1510. If the House agrees with changes made by the Senate, the bill would go to the Republican governor. "As I have repeatedly said, I want Mississippi to be the safest place in America for an unborn child," Bryant said Tuesday on Twitter. "House Bill 1510 will help us achieve that goal." (3/6)

NPR: EPA Releases Chloroprene Data, Residents Sue Chemical Maker
Robert Taylor isn't sure why he's alive. "My mother succumbed to bone cancer. My brother had lung cancer," he ticks them off on his fingers. "My sister, I think it was cervical cancer. My nephew lung cancer." A favorite cousin. That cousin's son. Both neighbors on one side, one neighbor on the other. "And here I am. I don't understand how it decides who to take." (Hersher, 3/6)

Georgia Health News: Legislation Would Help Guide Patients On Birthing Hospitals
A House bill aims to lower Georgia’s high rates of infant and maternal mortality by creating a designation reflecting the level of care offered by the state’s birthing hospitals. If the proposal becomes law, the state Department of Public Health would establish designations – almost like ratings — that would give patients information on the services at the perinatal center. (Miller, 3/6)

Dallas Morning News: $1 Million Gift Will Support Pediatric Care, Research At Children's Health, UT Southwestern 
The MMK Foundation has committed $1 million to be split evenly between Children's Health System of Texas and UT Southwestern Medical Center. It's the largest grant ever given by the foundation, established by Marcia and Mark King in 2007. The money will be used to enhance the neonatal intensive care unit at Children's Health, support research at UT Southwestern and provide unrestricted funds for pediatric needs. (Haber, 3/6)

Pioneer Press: What’s Ahead For Nurse Practitioner Accused Of Reusing Syringes? MN Nursing Board Would Review Any Complaints.
When Allina Health employees accused a nurse practitioner at its St. Paul dermatology clinic of reusing syringes, the health care facility conducted an investigation which resulted in the nurse’s dismissal. The Minnesota Board of Nursing, responsible for granting, limiting, and revoking licenses, will determine what further action — if any — will be taken against the nurse should a complaint be filed. (Chavey, 3/6)

Pioneer Press: ‘Lost Files’ And ‘Poor Decisions’: Report Blasts Minnesota’s Problems Investigating Abuse In Nursing Homes 
Minnesota’s system for protecting seniors and vulnerable adults is in desperate need of repair. An investigation released Tuesday by the state’s Legislative Auditor, a government watchdog, found “failed” management in the Office of Health Facility Complaints (OHFC) led to “lost files” and “poor decisions” by staffers who were supposed to be protecting Minnesota’s most vulnerable citizens. State investigators have spent months probing the OHFC after a jump in abuse allegations and a backlog of complaints. In 2016, the agency investigated just 10 percent of the 3,400 complaint allegations of abuse it received from the public about long-term care facilities. (Magan, 3/6)

The Star Tribune: After Syringe Reuse, Allina Asks 161 Patients To Come In For Blood Tests 
Allina Health has notified 161 patients that they might have been exposed to blood-borne infections due to a nurse practitioner reusing syringes at a dermatology clinic in St. Paul. Patients received calls over the past two weeks advising them to seek testing for pathogens such as hepatitis C and HIV, which could have been passed from an infected patient to another via a reused syringe at the clinic. (Olson, 3/6)

Kaiser Health News: Oregon Couple’s Final Days Captured In Intimate Aid-In-Dying Video
On the last morning of their lives, Charlie and Francie Emerick held hands. The Portland, Ore., couple, married for 66 years and both terminally ill, died together in their bed on April 20, 2017, after taking lethal doses of medication obtained under the state’s Death With Dignity law. (Aleccia, 3/7)

ProPublica and The New York Times: The Price They Pay
Drug makers have raised prices on treatments for life-threatening or chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis, diabetes and cancer. In turn, insurers have shifted more of those costs onto consumers. Saddled with high deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs that expose them to a drug’s rising list price, many people are paying thousands of dollars a month merely to survive. For more than a year, President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress have promised to take action on high drug prices, but despite a flurry of proposals, little has changed. These are the stories of Americans living daily with the reality of high-cost drugs. And there are millions of others just like them. (Thomas and Ornstein, 3/5)

NPR: Probe Into Generic Drug Price Fixing Set To Widen
Forty-five states and the Department of Justice are claiming that generic drug prices are fixed, and the alleged collusion may have cost U.S. business and consumers more than $1 billion. In their complaint, prosecutors say that when pharmacies asked drug makers for their lowest price, the manufactures would rig the bidding process. (Lane, 3/7)

NBC Connecticut: Democrats Take Aim At High Prescription Drug Prices
Prescription drug prices have some state officials fed up and looking for answers. Increased prices years after year on some life-improving drugs have led to a push to force pharmaceutical companies to provide the reasoning for the cost increases. “I think the people of Connecticut would want to know why their drug prices are increasing every time they go to the pharmacy,” said Rep. Sean Scanlon, who rolled out the legislation along with State Comptroller Kevin Lembo, also a Democrat. (Reiss, 3/6)

Stat: Lawmaker Wants Drug Makers To Explain How Tax Law Money Will Be Used
In the wake of changes to the federal tax code, one lawmaker wants to know why so many drug makers are sharing their windfalls with stockholders and not lowering prices. The new tax law, you may recall, slashed the corporate tax rate and made it easier for companies to repatriate overseas cash, making dividends and share buybacks quick and appealing options. And in fact, nine drug makers are spending a combined $50 billion on new share buyback programs, all of which were announced during or after passage of the tax bill, according to a recent tally by Axios. (Silverman, 3/6)

Stat: Oregon Legislature Passes A Drug Price Transparency Bill
You may soon be able to add Oregon to the growing number of states with laws that require drug makers to report and justify price hikes for some medicines. In a bipartisan vote late Friday, the Oregon Senate overwhelmingly passed such a bill, 25-to-4, just a few days after the same legislation was approved by the House. The legislation, called the Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act, now goes to Gov. Kate Brown, who is expected to sign it. (Silverman, 3/5)

Stat: How The 'Right-To-Try' Movement Muscled Its Way Into Washington
Five years ago, the phrase “right to try” wasn’t yet an inkling in the minds of its staunchest advocates. Today, the pithy shorthand for the campaign to get dying patients access to experimental treatments has been slapped on bumper stickers, emblazoned on T-shirts, and uttered by some of the most powerful figures in Washington. ... But the story of the five-year fight over “right to try” actually starts at a small lunch meeting of Republican health care experts in Phoenix. It then winds through more than three dozen state legislatures and into the stately meeting rooms of Capitol Hill, where pharmaceutical company lobbyists, Food and Drug Administration officials, and libertarian leaders are still pushing to shape or even upend the ultimate package. (Mershon, 3/7)

Politico Pro: Patients' Bills May Surge Due To New Insurer Policy On Drug Coupons
Patients with severe, often life-threatening illnesses could see steep and unexpected drug costs in the coming weeks due to an arcane change in the way many insurers handle drug maker discounts. (Demko, 3/2)

Stat: McCaskill Seeks To End Tax Breaks For Consumer Drug Ads
Once again, a congressional lawmaker is introducing legislation that would end the tax break that drug makers can take for advertising medicines to consumers. Called the End Taxpayer Subsidies for Drug Ads Act, the bill reflects concerns that drug makers are spending too much to market high-priced medicines at a time of growing anger over the cost of prescription drugs, according to U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D- Mo.), who introduced the bill. She noted that only the U.S. and New Zealand allow consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals. (Silverman, 3/1)

California Healthline: States Strive To Curb Costs For A Crucial — But Exorbitant — Hemophilia Treatment
The child is well-known in the halls where state bureaucrats oversee health care for millions of Californians — not by name, but by a number: $21 million. His medications alone cost state taxpayers that much in a single year, not including other health care. The boy, whose identity has not been released, was California’s most expensive Medicaid patient in recent years. His case was singled out in a tweet last year by the state’s top health care official to highlight the public insurance program’s extraordinary obligations as a backstop for low-income patients. (Ostrov, 3/5)

Stat: Regeneron Drug Being Kept Out Of Many Patients' Hands By Payers
Shortly before Regeneron Pharmaceuticals won the right last year to sell a new drug for severe eczema, the company’s chief executive promised to price the medicine “responsibly” in order to avoid the anger over high drug prices. At first blush, he appeared to have succeeded – the $37,000 price tag for Dupixent was in line with an evaluation by a closely followed cost-effectiveness watchdog. But a year later, the effort has not produced all of the desired results. Regeneron has, indeed, escaped public criticism for its pricing, which is something of a moral victory for Dr. Len Schleifer, the outspoken chief executive. (Silverman, 3/1)

Stat: Nearly 90 Countries Sidestepped Patents To Bring Down Drug Prices
In 2001, a modified World Trade Organization agreement ushered in a new era of access to medicines by giving countries the right to sidestep drug makers that charged unaffordable prices. But since then, the number of instances in which a country has pursued any of the sanctioned measures was believed to be rather small, especially since the pharmaceutical industry has often raised strenuous objections. (Silverman, 3/5)

Forbes: In Two Months, Biotech Startups Raised More Money Than In All Of 2013
If there are any worries about the future of biotech, don't tell the venture capitalists. Last week, biotechnology firms raised $758 million from VCs and angel investors, according to an analysis by Pitchbook, a data provider that tracks venture and private equity investments. In the year-to-date, venture capitalists have poured $2.8 billion into biotechnology startups. That means that in the first two months of 2018, venture capitalists have invested more in biotechnology firms than they did in all of any year before 2014. (Herper, 3/5)

Reuters: Big Pharma, Big Data-Why Drugmakers Want Your Health Records
Drugmakers are racing to scoop up patient health records and strike deals with technology companies as big data analytics start to unlock a trove of information about how medicines perform in the real world.Studying such real-world evidence offers manufacturers a powerful tool to prove the value of their drugs - something Roche aims to leverage, for example, with last month's $2 billion purchase of Flatiron Health. (Hirschler, 3/1)

The Wall Street Journal: How Missed Red Flags Derailed A Drug Deal
A bombshell revelation seems likely to derail a generic-drugs merger. Investors could have avoided the mess altogether by taking some red flags more seriously.German health-care company Fresenius SE said Monday it was investigating “alleged breaches of [Food and Drug Administration] data integrity requirements” at generics-drug manufacturer Akorn, which Fresenius agreed to purchase last year for $3.7 billion. For their part, Akorn said in a statement that its own investigation “has not found any facts that would result in a material impact on Akorn’s operations” and that the investigation shouldn’t affect the deal’s closing. (Grant, 2/27)

Stat: Novartis Accused Of 'Bullying Tactics' Against Poor Countries
Nearly a dozen advocacy groups began a series of protests against Novartis this week for using “lies, threats and bribes” to pressure developing countries not to pursue measures to widen access to medicines. The groups are targeting Novartis because the drug maker figures prominently in an intensifying effort by the U.S. Trade Representative and pharmaceutical industry trade groups to lean on the Colombian government to revamp its policies toward pricing and patents. (Silverman, 3/2)

Stat: FDA Pressed To Explain Why It Won’t Shed Light On Ebola Drug Decision
The Food and Drug Administration will have to explain to a court this week why it won’t shed more light on an internal decision to allow at least two Americans who contracted Ebola to take a drug that wasn’t yet approved. It’s the latest salvo in a legal case that could have broader implications for the ongoing campaign to pass a federal “right-to-try” law, in which advocates are aiming to help dying patients get access to other drugs the FDA hasn’t yet approved. (Mershon and Swetlitz, 3/5)

The Hill: Big Pharma's Lobbyists Are Losing Despite Their 'Pass The Buck' Campaigns
As policymakers and the administration focus on high drug prices, the brand drugmaker lobby has responded by unleashing millions of dollars in an attempt to shift blame. They’ve blamed price gouging scandals on a “broken system” and claim to want to reform. They bankroll more than 1,400 lobbyists along with many “patient groups” and so-called “experts” to carry these messages to the media outlets and politicians on whom they lavish millions in advertising dollars and campaign contributions. (John Jones, 3/5)

Denver Post: Hold Drug Makers Accountable For Rising Costs
Everyone seems to know someone who’s had to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month for expensive prescription drugs, whether it’s to treat a deadly cancer like leukemia or an autoimmune disease like Multiple sclerosis. Not long ago, American consumers voiced outrage when the drug manufacturer Mylan jacked up the price of its life-saving emergency allergy shot, EpiPen, by 400 percent. That outrage was compounded by a finding in 2017 that Mylan had overcharged Medicaid programs by over a billion dollars, by evading required rebates. Despite widespread public outcry about this and other necessary drugs, we aren’t any closer to knowing why the drugs we rely on cost so much. (Bethany Pray, 3/2)

The Hill: Pharmaceutical Corporations Need To Stop Free-Riding On Publicly-Funded Research
The White House Council of Economic Advisers recently announced a strategy to curb high drug prices: force “free riding” countries abroad to pay more and watch the prices go down in America. That’s not how it works; lifesaving medicines aren’t more expensive here because they cost less elsewhere. They’re priced out of reach everywhere because pharmaceutical corporations are charging exorbitant prices simply because they can—and the U.S. government lets them. (Jason Cone, 3/3)

Bloomberg: Dermira Acne Drug Failure: What Biotech Binary Means
The word "binary" brings to mind a coin flip. But in biotech, the coin is often weighted unfavorably. The latest example is Dermira Inc., which announced Monday that its heavily hyped acne drug had failed two final-stage trials. The drug flopped so thoroughly the company is giving up on it altogether. This is a reminder that the downside of biotech binaries is often bigger than any potential upside. And despite what many sell-side analysts suggest, the downside is in many cases the likelier outcome. (Max Nisen, 3/5)

The Register-Guard: Drug Transparency Bill Ignores Role Of Insurers
Every month, I visit a Eugene pharmacy to buy insulin for my 11-year-old daughter. She has type 1 diabetes, which means her body no longer makes insulin. Without daily insulin injections, she will die. On an Oregon Bronze Affordable Care Act insurance plan, I pay $274 per vial for insulin that cost $21 in 1996. I worry about the price. Oregonians, like other Americans with diabetes, are now making desperate choices to afford the insulin that keeps them alive. (Julia Boss, 3/6)

Forbes: Sky High Drug Prices Can Be Controlled. Here's How.
There’s rocket science and then there’s drug pricing. Maybe that’s a stretch, but it’s true that health care is complicated, and one only has to take a look at what drives drug prices to see just how complicated. The process of determining drug prices seems arbitrary and opaque, as evidenced in years past by the sudden and inexplicable increase of common drugs like EpiPens. Unfortunately, when that happens, patients are caught in the middle. (Walker Ray and Tim Norbeck, 2/28)

Bloomberg: Valeant Earnings: The 2017 Bill Comes Due
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., long the sick man of the pharma world, actually had a decent 2017. It chipped away at its massive debt pile, pushed some debt obligations into the future, and stabilized parts of its business. But Valeant's 2017 results and 2018 guidance, released Wednesday morning, illustrate we still don't know when its long-promised turnaround will arrive -- or where its bottom will be. (Max Nisen, 2/28)

USA Today: New Medicaid Work Rules Mean Worse Health, Less Work For The Disabled
During last year’s fight against efforts in Washington to repeal the Affordable Care Act, poll after poll showed most Americans opposed Medicaid cuts that would turn back the clock on decades of civil rights progress for people with disabilities. Disability rights activists vividly and compellingly pointed out that Medicaid delivers essential health care as well as long-term supports and services that make life in the community possible for millions of people with disabilities. Thanks in large part to their brave efforts, so far we have thwarted congressional proposals to dismantle Medicaid. But in 2018 we face a new looming threat: Medicaid work requirements, recently permitted by the Trump administration in three states: Kentucky, Indiana and — just this week — Arkansas. (Marty Ford, 3/7)

The Washington Post: Trump Administration’s Under-The-Radar Attack On Medicaid Is Picking Up Speed
For now, congressional Republicans appear to have set aside efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Yet, it’s increasingly clear that the Trump administration is doubling down on its attempts to seriously weaken the ACA’s Medicaid expansion by making it more difficult for millions of low-income people to get health coverage. The administration’s strategy is focused on state waivers, which do not require congressional approval. On Monday, the administration approved a sweeping new waiver in Arkansas that could jeopardize coverage for many low-income adults. (Jared Bernstein and Hannah Katch, 3/6)

Orange County Register: Protecting Health Care For Californians Takes More Than A Press Release — It Takes A Real Plan
I grew up in East Lost Angeles where many residents had no health insurance or were dramatically underinsured. When I was a teenager I was diagnosed with a tumor in my spinal canal. It sent me to the emergency room and for a moment I was so sick a priest was called to give me last rites just in case. There is a decent chance I am here today because my mother, a public employee, had good health care. I have never forgotten that — the difference between quality health care and no care. And that’s why I have never stopped fighting my entire adult life for quality, universal and affordable health care for all Californians. (Antonio Villaraigosa, 3/3)

Vox: Idaho Is About Way More Than Obamacare
There is a lot more at stake in Idaho than Obamacare. That’s what I’ve come to realize over the past few weeks. I’ve spent a lot of time talking to people who would defend the state’s plan to allow non-Obamacare insurance plans back onto the market and the people who view those arguments as patently ridiculous. What I’ve learned is: This isn’t just about whether a state can bring back preexisting conditions. This isn’t just about what they would do to Idaho’s insurance market and the people left behind in the Obamacare exchanges, where actuaries say premiums would increase. Instead, there are some more fundamental questions at play about a state and the federal government’s obligation to enforce the law of the land — and whether we will set what some would call a very dangerous precedent about ignoring the law when we don’t agree with it. (Dylan Scott, 3/5)

The New York Times: How A Bad Law And A Big Mistake Drove My Mentally Ill Son Away
Ever since the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., law enforcement and other officials have been calling for changes in the Baker Act, a Florida law that allows involuntary commitment for 72 hours of people who are an imminent danger to themselves or others. If the Baker Act had been easier to deploy, they think, Nikolas Cruz, the accused shooter, would have been taken and treated before his horrible act. However this law may be reformed, it will never be able to get people with serious mental illness the treatment they need. (Norman J. Ornstein, 3/6)

Vox: Why Apple, Amazon, Google, And Uber Are Making Big Health Care Moves
Some of the biggest and most famous brands in America are making big bets on health care. The blue chips of Silicon Valley — Amazon, Apple, Google, Uber — have announced in the past few weeks they’re interested in disrupting an industry that has bedeviled us with rising costs and inefficiencies for decades. Amazon is setting up a mysterious new partnership with JPMorgan Chase and Warren Buffett. ...It is way, way, way too early to start imagining a world where health care is truly owned by Big Tech — you order prescription drugs with your Amazon Prime account, see a nurse at the Apple Clinic, get your benefits statements from Google, and call an Uber instead of an ambulance when you need to go to the hospital. But something is happening here.  (Dylan Scott, 3/6)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Emulate VA Transparency To Reduce Opioid Oversubscribing
Opioid overprescribing has fueled a crisis in opioid overdose death that is unprecedented in our nation's history. As the opioid overdose death toll continues to rise, new initiatives to help curb overprescribing are desperately needed . In this context, one recent initiative from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs deserves special mention due to its novel approach and potential impact: accountability through transparency. Earlier this year, the VA took the bold step to publish its opioid prescribing rates from each of its medical centers across the country to an interactive website. ...As an initiative, the OSI (Opioid Safety Initiative) has led to prescribing decreases of, on average, 25 percent nationally, and as much as 66 percent at some VA medical centers. (Ali Mchaourab and Jason Tuckerman, 3/7)

Lexington Herald Leader: Fighting Opioid Addiction Must Include Job Training For Those In Recovery
The numbers aren’t final yet, but 2017 will likely be another record-breaking year for overdose deaths in Kentucky. That’s astonishing when you consider that more than 1,400 of our friends, relatives and neighbors lost their lives to opioids in 2016. The suffering has been immense. Nearly every family has been impacted by this scourge. Our foster-care system, our courts, our prisons and jails, and our first responders are near the breaking point. The Bevin administration and the General Assembly have moved swiftly to create laws and implement policies that address this crisis. (John Tilley, 3/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: Effective Drug Education Should Be ‘Just Say Know’
Last month, when 10 otherwise healthy middle-schoolers had been hospitalized “after they ingested an unknown substance,” my suspicions were aroused. Sure enough, that substance was edible marijuana. Those 10 students will be OK, and unlikely to repeat that dysphoric experience. Over the past 50-plus years, thousands of others have made the same mistake, usually involving a brownie or other edible, and learned from it — either to abstain completely or moderate their use. The decision to use marijuana is not to be taken lightly, and requires sound information. That’s why I was grateful to hear that San Francisco Unified School District is, according to School Board President Hydra Mendoza, prioritizing “drug education and, specifically, the risks of cannabis.” (Marsha Rosenbaum, 3/6)

St. Louis Post Dispatch: Healing The Deep Wounds Of Violence
It takes more than a stitch to heal a bullet wound. With the creation and launch this summer of the St. Louis Area Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (STL-HVIP), a citywide network of hospital-based intervention and ongoing support, the St. Louis medical community is taking a significant step to help patients heal from acts of violence. (Laurie Punch, 3/6)

Lexington Herald Leader: Nursing Home Ombudsmen Key To Care
This is a true story. Thomas, 52, slipped on ice in his driveway and broke his leg a few months ago. His recovery was complicated, but finally he was well enough to leave the hospital and go to an area nursing home for physical therapy and further rehabilitation. Thomas was in a great deal of pain when he arrived. Fortunately, a long-term care ombudsman was in the building visiting residents that day. (Sherry Culp, 3/7)