Politico: Did Shulkin Get Fired Or Resign? This Is Why It Matters.
The White House is now asserting that recently departed Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin resigned. Shulkin has made it clear in his public comments that he was forced out. While Washington often wraps firings in the verbal cloak of a resignation, the distinction this time could have far-reaching implications that could throw the Department of Veterans Affairs, the second-largest federal agency, into further disarray. (Restuccia, 3/31)

The Associated Press: White House Goes On Attack Over Shulkin's Claim He Was Fired
The White House is hitting back at former Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin for claiming that he was fired from his job and that he was only informed about it shortly before President Donald Trump tweeted about his replacement. The Trump administration says he left his job willingly amid a bruising ethics scandal and mounting rebellion within the agency. The semantics of whether Shulkin resigned or was fired could be relevant to Trump's ability to name an acting VA secretary to temporarily fill his place. (Yen, 4/2)

The Associated Press: Ousted Shulkin Rejects White House Claim He Resigned VA Job
But in television interviews, Shulkin said he had not submitted a resignation letter, or planned to, and was only told of Trump's decision shortly before the Twitter announcement. He said he had spoken to Trump by phone earlier that day about VA improvements, with no mention of his job status, and was scheduled to meet with the president the next morning. "I came to run the Department of Veterans Affairs because I'm committed to veterans," Shulkin said. "And I would not resign because I'm committed to making sure this job was seen through to the very end." (Yen, 4/2)

Bloomberg: Ousted Veterans Affairs Head Warns Of Privatization Push 
Trump announced Shulkin’s ouster Thursday in a Twitter message, in which he said he was nominating White House physician Ronny L. Jackson to head the department, which is second in size only to the Defense Department. Shulkin has warned that service members and their families could see a decrease in care if the agency goes ahead with plans to broaden its use of the private sector. (Decker and Edgerton, 4/1)

Modern Healthcare: What Does The Shulkin Ouster Mean For Expansion Of VA Choice? 
Veterans' healthcare, the sprawling, expensive system within the nation's sprawling, expensive system, is complicated and appears to be getting more so. The sudden Twitter firing of Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. David Shulkin reignited the politics around VA Choice—even as lawmakers and stakeholders said they hope the leadership shakeup won't further stall long-awaited expansion of the program. (Luthi, 3/31)

The Hill: Trump VA Pick Hesitated To Take Job: Report
White House physician Ronny Jackson initially hesitated at the suggestion that he be nominated to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, The Washington Post reported Thursday. Jackson was reportedly shocked when Trump tapped him for the top job at the nation's second largest government agency, the Post reported, citing senior White House officials. (Greenwood, 3/30)

Politico: Sanders: 'We Know Nothing' About Trump's VA Pick
Sen. Bernie Sanders wouldn't commit to supporting President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, on Sunday. In an interview on CBS’ "Face the Nation," the Vermont independent noted that Jackson, Trump's personal physician, is a virtual unknown on veterans issues. He also expressed concerns the Trump administration is pushing to privatize the nearly $200 billion bureaucracy, citing the conservative agenda of the influential donors Charles and David Koch. (O'Brien, 4/1)

Stat: NIH Rejected Study Of Alcohol Advertising While Pursuing Industry Funding
It’s rare for officials at the National Institutes of Health to summon university scientists from hundreds of miles away. So when Dr. Michael Siegel of Boston University and a colleague got the call to meet with the director of NIH’s Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, he said, “I knew we were in trouble.” He never imagined, however, that at the 2015 meeting the director, George Koob, would leap out of his seat and scream at the scientists after their PowerPoint presentation on research the agency had eagerly funded on the association between alcohol marketing and underage drinking. “I don’t f***ing care!” Koob yelled, referring to alcohol advertising, according to the scientists. (Begley, 4/2)

The Wall Street Journal: Hospitals Fear Competitive Threat From Potential Walmart-Humana Deal
Early-stage deal talks between Walmart Inc. and Humana Inc. are deepening anxiety in the hospital sector, which already has been grappling with sluggish growth and competition from cheaper health-care options. Hospitals have been eyeing Walmart nervously for years as it advances into health care, seeking to leverage its enormous purchasing heft, physical reach and focus on price. The Bentonville, Ark., retailer already operates pharmacies and primary-care clinics and plans to begin offering lab-testing services. It has also recently increased its direct negotiations with hospitals for competitive prices on some procedures for its employees. (Evans, 4/1)

The Wall Street Journal: Walmart-Humana Talks Put New Pressure On Remaining Players In Health Care
The emergence of talks between Walmart Inc. and Humana Inc. creates pressure on the health-care companies that haven’t yet made deals, amid the rapid-fire integration that is reshaping the business of managing health care. A Walmart-Humana deal—which is far from assured, as the companies are in early-stage talks about a variety of possible options—would become the latest sign of the sector’s rapid move toward combinations that unite different businesses under one roof. (Wilde Mathews and Terlep, 3/30)

The Wall Street Journal: Walmart Courts New Risk In Its Hunt For Humana
Walmart Inc.’s potential acquisition of a health insurer would push it far beyond its big-box roots, enabling it to diversify away from the competitive pressures of retailing yet also thrusting it into a complicated and rapidly evolving health-care sector. Walmart is holding preliminary discussions to buy U.S. health insurer Humana Inc. and the companies are discussing various options, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. There is no guarantee the companies will agree on a merger or pursue some other partnership. (Nassauer and Wilde Mathews, 3/30)

Sacramento Bee: Sutter Health Unfairly Inflates Medical Costs In Northern California, AG Alleges
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Friday that, after a six-year investigation, he has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Sacramento-based Sutter Health in San Francisco Superior Court, alleging that the health-care company has used its market power to control prices and exclude competition. (Anderson, 3/30)

The Hill: California Sues Hospital Network Over High Health Costs 
“Sutter Health is throwing its weight around in the healthcare market, engaging in illegal, anticompetitive pricing that hurts California families,” Becerra said in a statement. “These tactics are risking Californians’ lives by driving up the cost of healthcare for everyone." Becerra alleges that Sutter Health sets excessively high out-of-network rates for patients who must get care outside of their provider network; restricts publication of provider cost information and rates; and requires insurance companies negotiate with the entire system or face termination of contracts. (Hellmann, 3/30)

California Healthline: California Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
Taken together, Sutter’s actions “improperly block any and all practical efforts to foster or encourage price competition between Sutter and any rival Healthcare Providers or Hospital Systems,” according to the state’s complaint. “Sutter’s conduct injured the general economy of Northern California and thus of the state.” (Terhune and Ibarra, 4/1)

The Washington Post: California Ordered To Add Cancer Warning To Coffee, But The Science Doesn’t Hold Up
Storm clouds are brewing in California’s coffee cups. Companies across the state will have to add a cancer-warning label to coffee, a judge ruled this week, because the drink contains a chemical called acrylamide. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Elihu M. Berle sided with a nonprofit organization in a case against Starbucks, Peets and dozens of other coffee chains, saying that businesses that sold coffee were in violation of a state regulation called Proposition 65. Prop 65 requires businesses with at least 10 employees to disclose any carcinogens and toxic chemicals in their products. (Guarino and Rosenberg, 3/30)

Los Angeles Times: Go Ahead And Drink Your Coffee, Public Health Experts Say
The decision has put public health experts at odds with a state law aimed at safeguarding the health of Californians. "I can understand the logic of the judge, by going by the book. But I can also understand the science," said Mariana Carla Stern, a USC professor who studies diet and cancer. "From the science standpoint, there's no reason the public should worry about drinking coffee." (Karlamangla and Kim, 3/30)

The New York Times: After Gun Control Marches, ‘It’ll Go Away’ Vs. ‘We Are Not Cynical Yet’
For more than a month now, the questions have ricocheted down this Main Street culled from a Norman Rockwell dreamscape — past the dueling barbershops and the outdoor broom sale and the mural with the horse — quietly at first, when the Florida massacre was still fresh, and then not so quietly. Why would this time be different? Why should it be? (Flegenheimer and Bidgood, 4/1)

CQ: Addiction Workforce Needs Remain Amid Opioid Spending Boost
The recently enacted 2018 omnibus spending bill contains billions in federal funds to address opioid abuse, including a long-sought change to a health workforce development program that has thrilled the addiction treatment community. But as the praise rolls in for the lawmakers who fought for that money, advocates say only repeated and sustained investments of this magnitude will help slow the drug overdose crisis that took more than 63,000 lives in 2016. (Siddons, 3/30)

Minnesota Public Radio: 'Penny-A-Pill' Funding Fades Under Pressure From Pharmaceutical Industry
When supporters rolled out what they called "penny-a-pill" legislation last month, they described it as a bipartisan effort to raise needed money to combat the opioid overdose epidemic that claimed hundreds of lives in Minnesota last year. But the legislation faces an uncertain future after strong opposition from pharmaceutical companies and some business interests. (Collins, 3/30)

The Associated Press: Cooking Classes Aim To Restore Health After Addiction
At Boston Medical Center, patients recovering from addiction are getting healthier one slab, stick and cube at a time. For years, the hospital has offered cooking classes tailored to specific medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, and it runs a food pantry for low-income patients who are prescribed fresh food as part of their treatments. The newest class is "Cooking for Recovery" and is part of a growing trend toward taking a more comprehensive approach to treating addiction. (Ramer, 4/1)

Health News Florida: UCF Researchers Look At Opioid Abuse In Black Adults
A new study out of the University of Central Florida finds opioid abuse equally affects whites and blacks even though it is often portrayed as a white, rural epidemic. UCF doctoral student Harvey Nicholson was searching through data on opioid abuse when he realized that he couldn’t find anything on how the epidemic was affecting black adults. (Welch, 3/30)

California Healthline: Staying Alive: How To Fight An Opioid Addiction
Rule No. 1: Stay alive. If you or a loved one wants to beat an opioid addiction, first make sure you have a handy supply of naloxone, a medication that can reverse an overdose and save your life. “Friends and families need to keep naloxone with them,” says Dr. David Kan, an addiction medicine specialist in Walnut Creek who is president of the California Society of Addiction Medicine. “People using opioids should keep it with them, too.” (Bazar, 3/30)

The Washington Post: Popular Drug Seroquel, First Meant For Schizophrenia, Reveals 'Off-Label' Issues
The first warning came a dozen years ago, when the Food and Drug Administration accused the drug company AstraZeneca of “false or misleading” information about health risks in the marketing material for its blockbuster medication Seroquel, an antipsychotic developed to treat schizophrenia but increasingly prescribed “off label” for insomnia. What followed was an onslaught of litigation by state attorneys general, who charged AstraZeneca with fraudulently promoting Seroquel for unapproved uses, and by individual patients, who claimed that it had failed to alert consumers about some of the drug’s most pernicious side effects. Although the company never admitted wrongdoing, by the end of 2011 it had paid out more than $1 billion to settle many of the cases. (Nutt and Keating, 3/30)

The New York Times: Is This Tissue A New Organ? Maybe. A Conduit For Cancer? It Seems Likely.
Researchers have made new discoveries about the in-between spaces in the human body, and some say it’s time to rewrite the anatomy books. A study published in Scientific Reports this week described a fluid-filled, 3-D latticework of collagen and elastin connective tissue that can be found all over the body, in or near our lungs, skin, digestive tracts and arteries. (Fortin, 3/31)

Stat: CRISPR Paper That Sent Stocks Tumbling Is Retracted 
A scientific paper that purported to lay bare serious flaws in the gene-editing tool known as CRISPR and briefly tanked shares of genome-editing companies has been retracted by its publisher. The paper, published last year in Nature Methods, claimed that CRISPR wreaked havoc on the genome, causing hundreds of unintended mutations in mice — and that the algorithms typically used to detect these changes were routinely missing them. (Keshavan, 3/30)

NPR: IV 'Normal Saline': A Medical Habit
During a recent walk around the emergency room where I work, I noted the number of patients with bags of intravenous fluids hanging above them. Almost everyone had one. Our ER in Boston isn't unique. IV fluids are among the most common medical interventions worldwide. Several kinds are available, but one called normal saline is by far the most popular. Over 200 million liters are used every year in the United States. (Dalton, 3/31)

The Wall Street Journal: Prostate-Cancer Gene Test Helps Patients Decide On Treatment
In 37 years as a police officer, Edwin Michel coped with a plane crash, a sniper, wildfires and three bullet wounds. Nothing much rattled him until he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in November 2016. His doctor said the cancer wouldn’t kill him but Mr. Michel, now 76 years old, wasn’t entirely reassured. He felt more confident after a genomics test later revealed his prostate cancer was very low risk. The test, known as Oncotype DX, takes a sample from a prostate biopsy and analyzes 17 genes in it to estimate how aggressive a cancer may be. (Lagnado, 3/31)

The Washington Post: Teen Depression Is A Big Problem And It's Hard To Find Treatment
Mental-health treatment in America has plenty of room for improvement. Depression, in particular, is underdiagnosed and undertreated. The American Academy of Pediatrics took a big step in February to address one deficit — early identification of depression in adolescents. The group called for every child to be screened for depression every year, starting at age 12. (Adams, 3/31)

The New York Times: Devices To Quit Smoking Become The Devices Teenagers Can’t Quit
The student had been caught vaping in school three times before he sat in the vice principal’s office at Cape Elizabeth High School in Maine this winter and shamefacedly admitted what by then was obvious.“I can’t stop,” he told the vice principal, Nate Carpenter. So Mr. Carpenter asked the school nurse about getting the teenager nicotine gum or a patch, to help him get through the school day without violating the rules prohibiting vaping. (Zernike, 3/2)

The Washington Post: Mysterious 'Smoker's Cough' Took Little Girl's Doctors 12 Years To Figure Out
Why does she keep coughing, Eva Shea wondered about her daughter Mimi, as she had countless times. And why did the preschooler sound as though she had a two-pack-a-day cigarette habit? Over the years, Shea had asked about the wet cough during frequent visits to the pediatrician and specialists across Northern Virginia. Although doctors sometimes seemed concerned, many were reassuring. Kids get frequent respiratory infections, it doesn’t bother her, nothing showed up on tests, they variously told Shea. (Boodman, 3/31)

Miami Herald: Diaper Cream Recalled After FDA Finds Yeast, Mold, Bacteria
Four lots of a Mexican diaper cream sold at Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and several other chain stores have been recalled after the FDA found some of it “contaminated with high levels of yeast, mold, and bacteria.” (Neal, 4/1)

USA Today: Washington, D.C.'s Sewage-Plagued Hospital Blamed For Infection, Death
"A black, grainy foul-smelling substance" coated the floor of an operating room at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center, which also suffered from at least one "active leak" of sewage, according to a review by the District of Columbia health department last August. That health department report was cited in a lawsuit filed against the hospital by the husband of a woman who died from a post-operative infection after surgery at the hospital, where the operating rooms had suffered from leaks of bacteria-filled sewage for months. (O'Donnell, 4/2)

Boston Globe: Cambridge Health Alliance Says Some Of Its Patients’ Data Was Compromised
Cambridge Health Alliance on Friday said that it has notified patients of a data breach that resulted in billing information for 2,500 people landing in the hands of an “unauthorized third party.” Officials with the healthcare provider, which operates numerous hospitals and primary care centers north of Boston, do not know whether the breach was the result of an intentional hack, or whether the data was inadvertently made public, CHA spokesman David Cecere said in an e-mail Friday night. (Ruckstuhl and Carozza, 3/31)

Chicago Tribune: Chicago Hospitals Partner With Apple To Put Medical Records On Your Phone
Forget bulky paper medical records or large electronic files available only upon request.Patients at two Chicago hospital systems will soon be able to see, and carry, their health records on their iPhones. Rush University Medical Center and University of Chicago Medicine are among 39 health systems across the country working with Apple on its updated Health app, part of Apple’s newest iPhone operating system released this week. Patients will be able to have information about allergies, medical conditions, vital signs, immunizations, medications, procedures and lab results sent directly to the app. (Schencker, 3/30)

The Baltimore Sun: In Change In Tradition, Johns Hopkins Interns Will No Longer Wear Short White Coats 
Generations of first-year residents at Johns Hopkins Hospital have worn a short white coat as they made rounds and treated patients. The coat was different than the the longer style the other residents wore. It was meant to symbolize a year of learning — that residents were not true physicians until they spent some time on the job caring for patients. (McDaniels, 4/2)

WBUR: Kentucky Lawmakers Limit Black Lung Claims Reviews Despite Epidemic
A measure signed into law in Kentucky this past week would prevent federally-certified radiologists from judging X-rays in state black lung compensation claims, leaving diagnoses of the disease mostly to physicians who typically work for coal companies. The new law requires that only pulmonologists — doctors who specialize in the lungs and respiratory system — assess diagnostic black lung X-rays when state black lung claims are filed. (Berkes and Becker, 3/31)

Georgia Health News: Out Of Time And Out Of Network: Piedmont, Blue Cross Fail To Reach Deal
Today, Easter Sunday, Piedmont Healthcare doctors and hospitals became out-of-network providers for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia members. Round-the-clock negotiations failed to bring an agreement on a new contract between Blue Cross, the state’s largest health insurer, and the rapidly expanding Piedmont system. (Miller, 4/1)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: No Contract For Blue Cross Georgia, Piedmont Healthcare
About a half-million Piedmont Healthcare patients will have to find new healthcare providers to avoid out-of-network prices, after the the company and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia could not agree to new contract terms. The previous contract ended at midnight without a new deal, said Piedmont spokesman Matt Gove. (Walker, 4/1)

Columbus Dispatch: With Eye On Mental Health And Drugs, Kasich Signs $2.6 Billion Capital Budget
Talking about the need to address difficult mental health issues, Gov. John Kasich on Friday signed the $2.6 billion state capital budget, which includes $112 million to replace the main hospital at the Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare campus. In a press conference at the Hilltop-area facility, Kasich, now about nine months from leaving office, also urged majority GOP lawmakers — and the next governor — to not do away with Medicaid expansion that he pushed so hard to implement. (Siegel, 3/30)

The Washington Post: Maryland Lawmakers Advance Bill That Requires Schools To Teach Sexual Consent
Sex education classes in Maryland would have to include instruction on consent under a bill that is moving through the General Assembly, a measure an advocate called “one of the most important things that we can do to prevent college sexual assaults.” Under the measure, middle and high school students would learn what consent means and about how to respect personal boundaries. (Wiggins and Chason, 3/30)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: A Six-Way Kidney Swap Unites Three Families
Stacy Glago, 40, wanted to donate one of her kidneys to her mother, but she wasn't a match. ...They learned about Kidney Paired Donation, a national kidney swap program, that opens the search for matching living kidney donors across the United States. Most people are born with two kidneys, and when one is removed and transplanted into another person's body, the human body can adapt to living with just one kidney. The paired donation program opens up donor possibilities to people in the organ procurement and transplantation database across the country when a match can't be found among willing relatives or friends. (Clark, 4/1)

Boston Globe: State’s Long-Promised Health-Costs Website Is Now Due To Arrive This Spring
State officials are finally preparing to launch such a website this spring, months later than their previous self-imposed deadline, and with more tempered ambitions. Officials at the Center for Health Information and Analysis, a state agency that serves as a clearinghouse for health care data and is required by law to create a public health care cost website, are stressing that the project is only a piece of a broader state goal of increasing transparency around medical costs. (McCluskey, 4/1)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: 'Test And Treat' Approach To HIV Epidemic Could Save Lives
The treatment of HIV has dramatically changed and health workers, including in New Orleans, are pushing to expand access to testing sites as medication becomes more accessible and easier to take. HIV specialists say that the quicker a patient is consistently taking anti-retrovirals, the quicker they will be able to lower their viral load to the point where HIV is undetectable in their blood stream. The Mid-City health center CrescentCare partnered with the New Orleans Office of Health Policy on an initiative to start treating newly diagnosed patients with those retroviral drugs within 72 hours of testing positive for HIV. So far, 131 patients diagnosed with HIV have been placed on rapid treatment as part of that initiative, called Rapid Start, since it launched in December 2016. (Clark, 3/30)

Richmond Times-Dispatch: State Group Funds Free Clinics To Address Diabetes, Depression
Only 30 to 50 percent of diabetics with major depression are recognized and treated, according to the Virginia Health Care Foundation, which has launched a two-year grant program to address the issue. Through its Defeating the Deadly Double initiative, the foundation has provided five free clinics and federally qualified health centers across the state with a combined $1.2 million to address the needs of Virginians living with both diabetes and depression. (O'Connor, 4/1)

The Associated Press: Ohio Treatment Center Owner Target Of Medicaid Fraud Probe
A man viewed as a local superhero with a matching car collection and a penchant for completing daring feats for charity is under investigation for his alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar Medicaid fraud scheme at his two Ohio substance abuse treatment centers. A forfeiture complaint filed last week by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Cleveland seeks to keep around $3.5 million in assets from 38-year-old Ryan Sheridan, whose Braking Point Recovery Services operated centers in suburban Youngstown and suburban Columbus. (3/31)

Columbus Dispatch: Uninsured Get Replacement Knees, Hips For Free Through Annual Program
Without insurance, and ineligible for Medicare or Medicaid, [Linda] Wells was resigned to the suffering. Then she discovered Operation Walk USA, an organization that supplies free knee- and hip-replacement surgery to people unable to buy private health insurance but ineligible for government assistance. (Viviano, 4/1)

Miami Herald: Florida Nursing Homes Need Generators But What About Inspections?
After a dozen elders overheated and died in a Hollywood nursing home during Hurricane Irma, the state passed new rules requiring health facilities to install backup generators capable of keeping the air conditioning blowing if the power went out. But the state healthcare agency — which regulates institutions like nursing homes and assisted living facilities — may not inspect all the generators before storm season starts and the mandates take effect June 1. (Nehamas and Koh, 4/1)

Columbus Dispatch: Judge Grants Class-Action Status To Developmental Disabilities Lawsuit Against Ohio
A 2-year-old court battle between the state of Ohio and legal advocates for Ohioans with developmental disabilities can proceed as a class-action lawsuit, a federal judge in Columbus ruled Friday. ... Disability Rights Ohio filed the lawsuit in 2016 on behalf of six people who said the state’s disabilities system violates the federal Americans With Disabilities Act by leaving them and thousands of others stuck in institutions — or at risk of moving to one — because they can’t get the services they need to live and work in their communities. (Price, 3/30)

The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Lawmakers Halt Proposal To Create Johns Hopkins Police Force 
Maryland lawmakers will not endorse Johns Hopkins University’s proposal to create its own police force in Baltimore — at least not this spring. Baltimore Del. Curt Anderson, chair of the city’s delegation to the General Assembly, said Friday the university did not establish enough community support for the idea, and the delegation plans to refer the bill to be studied over the summer. The action effectively ends debate on the idea until the fall. (Cox, Dance and Knezevich, 3/30)

Georgia Health News: In Search Of Old Ideas: Emory Scientist Tracks Down Traditional Herbs In War Against Superbugs
This is where Cassandra Quave pursues a cure for infections, especially those that are resistant to common antibiotic treatments. But instead of developing more powerful antibiotics and joining a bacterial arms race, she revisits natural remedies that traditional healers have used for hundreds of years. (Ridderbusch, 4/1)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin To Close Youth Prison By 2021, Under New Bill
More than two years after state agents raided Wisconsin's deeply troubled prison for teens, Gov. Scott Walker and lawmakers of both parties are shutting it down and replacing it. By 2021, Wisconsin would close Lincoln Hills School for Boys and build or renovate smaller, regional facilities closer to offenders' families, under legislation signed by Walker Friday at the Milwaukee County courthouse. (Stein and Glauber, 3/30)

Kansas City Star: Measles Exposure Possible At Kansas City CVS And Restaurant
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services says an international traveler treated at a Kansas hospital may have exposed others to measles at two locations in Kansas City, Mo. A news release from the department said anyone who was at Señor Tequila restaurant, 6502 North Oak Trafficway, on March 19 or CVS pharmacy, 1914 Swift St., on March 22, might have been exposed. (Marso, 3/30)

The Star Tribune: UnitedHealth Group Dabbling With Blockchain 
UnitedHealth Group is joining forces with a rival health insurer and one of the nation's largest lab testing companies to see if blockchain technology can improve health care data. On Monday, UnitedHealth is announcing the pilot project in conjunction with Kentucky-based Humana, New Jersey-based Quest Diagnostics and a New York firm called MultiPlan. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Snowbeck, 4/2)

WBUR: Drinking Water Remains A Concern At Norfolk Prison In Mass.
For years, the water at one of Massachusetts' largest prisons — MCI-Norfolk — has been described by prisoners as smelly and looking like black tea. Massachusetts Department of Correction officials say the water meets state standards for potability. (Becker and Joliocoeur, 3/30)

Chicago Sun Times: Synthetic Cannabinoids Linked To 8 Cases Of Severe Bleeding In Chicago 
State and city public health officials have linked the use of synthetic cannabinoids to 8 cases of life-threatening bleeding this month in Chicago and more than 20 cases of severe bleeding in northeast Illinois. The Chicago Department of Public Health issued an urgent warning Friday about the dangers of synthetic cannabinoids – or “fake weed” – which are made up of chemicals that act on the same brain cell receptors as the main active ingredient in marijuana, according to the department. (Schuba, 3/30)

Richmond Times-Dispatch: No, Virginia Didn't Legalize Medical Marijuana. But Supporters Say The State Is Going 'Surprisingly Far' With Cannabis Oils
With efforts to decriminalize possessing small amounts of marijuana gaining little traction in the legislature, legalized recreational marijuana doesn’t seem imminent. But supporters say the action on medical oils shows state lawmakers are getting more comfortable about moving away from a “hyper-restrictive” model and could go further in the next few years. (Moomaw, 3/31)

Bloomberg: Shulkin's Reforms Should Live On At The VA
The firing of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin may seem like just another in the recent spate of executive-branch departures. But for his efforts to reform a vast bureaucracy and to better serve America's 20 million veterans, Shulkin will be sorely missed.He may have himself to blame for a host of alleged ethical violations, although Shulkin contends he has been falsely accused by Washington partisans and veterans' groups opposed to his reform efforts. What's clear is that many of those efforts have been sensible and courageous. The next VA leader -- Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, the White House physician, has been tabbed -- should push ahead on the same track. (3/30)

The Wall Street Journal: A Trump Choice For Veterans
It wouldn’t be a normal week in Washington without a Trump Administration personnel melodrama. But this week’s removal of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin is important on the policy merits, and let’s hope his successor is more amenable to allowing retired service members to make their own health-care choices. On Thursday Mr. Shulkin took to the New York Times to warn of “political appointees choosing to promote their agendas instead of what’s best for veterans” by supporting “privatization leading to the dismantling of the department’s extensive health care system.” This self-justification exercise will not be remembered as the most graceful exit. (3/30)

Miami Herald: Trump’s Doc, Ronny Jackson, Shouldn’t Be A Slam Dunk To Lead Veterans Affairs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has enough problems. It doesn’t need one in the form of a leader who, very possibly, has no idea what he’s doing.In yet another nomination made under President Trump’s “You’ll do — for now” philosophy of hiring the “very best people,” White House physician Ronny Jackson is up for the vital job of secretary of Veterans Affairs. (4/1)

Bloomberg: Walmart-Humana Deal Sounds Wild, But Would Make Sense 
The mammoth discount retailer is reportedly in early-stage talks to acquire Humana Inc., a health insurer valued at $41 billion (based on Thursday's after-hours trading price, which spiked on the late news). The potential merger comes on the heels of a December offer from drug-store chain and pharmacy-benefits manager CVS Health Corp. to buy insurer Aetna Inc. for $77 billion including debt -- and we mean a lot of debt (more on that later). There was also the $67 billion merger announced this month between Cigna Corp. and Express Scripts Holding Co., a similar pairing. (Tara Lachapelle and Max Nisen, 3/30)

Boston Globe: Psych Drug Research Is Stuck. Here’s How To Unstick It
For lack of a better term, drug development in the field of psychiatry is stuck — robbing patients and therapists of the precision tools needed to treat illnesses that can devastate lives. Although then-new drugs like Prozac helped unlock treatment of depression in the late 1980s, the next wave of blockbusters simply hasn’t materialized. ...But (Dr. Steven E.) Hyman, director of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and a professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard University, and others are optimistic that new insights emerging from genetic research and from the federal BRAIN Initiative could eventually crack open the field. (4/1)

Bloomberg: Opioid Abuse Isn't 'Victimless.' What About The Kids?
The Donald Trump administration is being widely criticized for its get-tough approach to the nation’s opioid crisis. Targeting negligent doctors and pharmacists, and focusing on reducing the illegal drug trade -- a war that includes President Trump’s call to execute convicted drug dealers -- will not do much for those suffering from addiction, the critics say. Indeed, the Trump administration’s attitude seems to be at odds with popular opinion. (Naomi Schaefer Riley, 3/30)

WBUR: 'Faith Healing' And Chest Pain: Heart Controversy Points Up Confounding Power Of Reassurance
If doctors — and, more importantly, patients -- truly want to know what the best treatments are, we need more blinded studies with sham procedures and "hard outcomes" to eliminate the "faith healing" effect. For now, if you have stable angina, it’s worth asking if you really need that stent. (David Scales, 3/30)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: The Link Between Marijuana And Lung Disease
Does smoking marijuana cause lung cancer? Studies show conflicting results, so it depends on what data you peruse. Not all studies are created equal. While some have found evidence that links marijuana to lung cancer, other studies have found no connection. (Melissa Martin, 4/1)

The Wall Street Journal: Attack Of The Killer Cappuccino
Californians will soon get something besides milk and cinnamon with their coffee—a mandated warning that their morning pick-me-up may kill them. A Los Angeles Superior Court ruled Thursday against Starbucks and other cafes and gas stations, penalizing them because they couldn’t definitively prove that coffee doesn’t cause cancer. (3/30)

St. Louis Post Dispatch: Cracking Down On Those Mostly Mythical Food Stamp Slackers
Republican members of the Missouri Legislature are intent on making sure that able-bodied adults without dependents have to work for their food stamps instead of slacking off. But the effort could be in trouble. It’s not really a very big problem, and lawmakers have doled out so many tax breaks there isn’t enough money to do it. Some lawmakers want to ignore federal rules and try it anyway. This is a terrible idea that can only lead to lawsuits. (4/1)

The Wall Street Journal: White Privilege For White Coats
Americans think they have a progressive political correctness problem, but the politicization of everything runs across the Western democracies. Witness the new code of conduct issued by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, which oversees more than 389,000 health-care providers. The new code, published this month, requires nurses and midwives to uphold “culturally safe and respectful practices.” The board defines this as a “de-colonising model of practice” focused on “systemic and structural issues” and “challeng[ing] racism at personal and institutional levels.” (3/30)

The Wichita Eagle: National Public Health Week A Time To Remember Steps To Better Health
National Public Health Week begins Monday and it’s a great time to be appreciative of the people and organizations who give Americans opportunities to improve their physical and mental well-being. It’s also a time to remember even the smallest things enable us to be our healthiest. We can all be a part of a healthier community. Many decisions – immunizations, not using tobacco, moderate or no alcohol intake – are obvious and have been drilled into us our entire lives. But more and more, we’re learning smaller things – drink more water, get up from a desk and move around – can lead to better overall health. (3/30)