The Wall Street Journal: Health Law Is Back As Campaign Issue—This Time For Democrats
Republicans have often won support in recent elections by promising to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This year, Democrats hope to turn the tables by pushing the opposite goal—not just keeping the health law, but expanding government’s role in health care. The tactic, which carries political risk as well as opportunity, is playing out in places such as Minnesota, a state won narrowly by Hillary Clinton in 2016 that is facing a governor’s race, two Senate contests and five close House races. Democrats need to gain 23 House seats to retake the chamber, so the state is critical. (Armour and Epstein, 5/11)

WBUR: The Individual Mandate Lives On In Mass. Here's A Look Ahead
In short, health insurance is still required for all Americans, with some exemptions, through the end of 2018. The federal penalty then drops to $0. But in 2019 and beyond, Massachusetts residents will continue to pay a penalty if they don't have creditable coverage, because the individual mandate remains state law. (Bebinger, 5/11)

In other health law news —

Modern Healthcare: Heading For The Exit: Rather Than Face Risk, Many ACOs Could Leave
Under Obama-era regulations, ACOs that started in Track 1 in either 2012 or 2013 are supposed to move to a risk-based model by the third contract period, which begins next year. There are 561 Medicare ACOs this year, 82% of which are in Track 1. Leaving the Medicare Shared Savings Program has consequences, especially for an ACO like Chautauqua whose doctors don't have enough Medicare patients on their own to take part in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System created under MACRA. That means they won't be part of any value-based care initiatives. (Dickson, 5/12)

Richmond Times-Dispatch: While They May Be Cheaper, Short-Term Health Plans Offer Skimpy Benefits
Those who don’t get subsidies — which protect people with lower incomes from the rising costs on the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges — might welcome the proposed regulations by President Donald Trump’s administration to make short-term health plans a more viable option by letting people buy them for a year rather than just a few months. But while they may come with a smaller cost, they don’t come with much else. (O'Connor, 5/13)

The Associated Press: Eyes Turn To Vermont As It Sees Success With Health System
A Vermont health care organization working to keep patients healthier while reducing costs is being closely watched because of its rate of success — it was within 1 percent of meeting its financial target in its first year and has now been expanded to cover about 18 percent of the state's population, officials said. Last year, OneCare Vermont covered about 24,000 Medicaid patients and now covers about 112,000 patients whose health care is provided through Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance. (Ring, 5/13)

The Associated Press: Insider Q&A: Insurers Look Beyond Medical Bills To Cut Costs
Health insurers are moving beyond medical claims. They want to know if you have a ride to the doctor's office or if you're eating right too. It's a push to keep people healthy and control medical spending. WellCare Health Plans Inc. has been traveling this path for years. The Medicaid and Medicare Advantage coverage provider started a toll-free phone line in 2014 to connect callers with social services and programs that help with things like food, housing or transportation. (Murphy, 5/13)

In other health industry news —

The Wall Street Journal: Is This Hospital Takeover Permitted? Ask The Catholic Church
It isn’t just the Federal Trade Commission scrutinizing U.S. health-care mergers these days. The Vatican is watching, too. Some of the biggest recent deals involve nonprofit hospitals affiliated with the Catholic Church, which make up about 8% of U.S. hospitals. Many began as small institutions founded by nuns more than a century ago. But as they have combined and grown into large corporations, they are posing new moral quandaries for church officials, who have a say in which mergers go ahead. (Evans, 5/14)

And, an eye-popping price tag to treat foot pain —

Kaiser Health News: Sticker Shock Jolts Oklahoma Patient: $15,076 For Four Tiny Screws
Sherry Young just wanted to be able to walk without pain. About three years ago, she began to experience sharp pain in her left foot. Her big toe had become crooked and constantly rubbed up against the adjacent toe, making it painful to run, walk or even stand. “I could not walk without intense pain unless I had a pad underneath my toes for cushioning,” Young said. (Szabo, 5/14)

NPR: For Every Woman Who Dies In Childbirth In The U.S., 70 More Come Close
A mother giving birth in the U.S. is about three times as likely to die as a mother in Britain and Canada. In the course of our reporting, another disturbing statistic emerged: For every American woman who dies from childbirth, 70 nearly die. That adds up to more than 50,000 women who suffer "severe maternal morbidity" from childbirth each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A patient safety group, the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, came up with an even higher figure. After conducting an in-depth study of devastating complications in hospitals in four states, it put the nationwide number at around 80,000. (Montagne, 5/10)

In other women's health news —

The Washington Post: Troubling Link Found Between Pollution Exposure In Pregnancy, High Blood Pressure In Children
High blood pressure typically occurs in adulthood, so when children develop the condition, it often means something is very wrong. A child might have kidney disease, hyperthyroidism or a heart problem. Obesity can also be a factor. But what about seemingly healthy youngsters whose blood pressure has shot up? Their risk, a study suggests, may trace back to before their birth. (Cha, 5/14)

The New York Times: How Abusive Relationships Take Root
A political activist. A high-powered attorney. A feminist author. The women who have accused Eric Schneiderman, the former New York attorney general, of sexual abuse stand as a reminder that domestic violence ensnares women of all backgrounds. Roughly a third of women in developed countries report having been in at least one abusive relationship, defined by a partner or ex-partner who “causes physical, sexual or psychological harm, including physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviors,” according to the World Health Organization. (Carey, 5/11)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Planned Parenthood Facility To Offer Some Abortions, Cancer Screening
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is opening a new clinic in Sheboygan that will provide certain abortions, cancer screenings and other services. The new center, set to open Monday, will be the only clinic in Wisconsin outside of Milwaukee and Madison to offer abortion services. (Spicuzza, 5/11)

The Washington Post: ‘Why I Chose To Run’: Congressional Challengers Use Bill Backed By Drug Companies Against Incumbents
As a drug and alcohol counselor and the mother of two young boys, Judy Herschel never considered running for political office. That was before Congress approved legislation in 2016 that hampered the Drug Enforcement Administration’s enforcement efforts against the opioid industry. In one month that summer, Herschel lost eight of her clients to opioid overdoses. She left her job and launched a full-time campaign against the politician she holds responsible for the legislation: its chief sponsor in the House, Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.). (Higham, Thebault, and Rich, 5/13)

CQ: Ways And Means To Mark Up Opioid Bill Packages
The influential House Ways and Means Committee on Friday outlined four bipartisan bill packages intended to curb opioid addiction that it plans to mark up next week. The development comes as other House and Senate committees are advancing their own legislation. The committee did not set a specific date for the markup or provide legislative text. The packages focus on preventing overprescribing, education for patients and prescribers, and access to treatment. (Raman, 5/11)

Los Angeles Times: As More Older Americans Struggle With Dementia, What Happens To Their Guns?
The man had been a patient for decades, retired now from a career in which firearms were a part of the job. He was enjoying his days hunting, or at the shooting range with friends. But episodes of confusion had led to a suspicion of dementia, and the nights were the worst: At sundown, he became disoriented, anxious and a little paranoid, and had started sleeping with his loaded pistol under the pillow. One night, he pointed it at his wife as she returned from the bathroom. It wasn't clear whether he recognized her, but he was certainly confused — and she was terrified. Thankfully, the incident did not end in disaster. (Healy, 5/11)

In other news —

NPR: Researchers Study American Gun Violence
February's mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which left 17 dead and 17 more wounded, horrified people across the country, spurring student walkouts and marches in support of stricter gun control laws, including universal, comprehensive background checks and a ban on assault weapons. But gun debates in the United States have proven to be contentious and intractable. Even as thousands rally for new legislation, opponents contend that such measures won't prevent determined criminals from obtaining a firearm and that responsible gun ownership makes communities safer. (Skibba, 5/12)

The New York Times: Deadly Convenience: Keyless Cars And Their Carbon Monoxide Toll
It seems like a common convenience in a digital age: a car that can be powered on and off with the push of a button, rather than the mechanical turning of a key. But it is a convenience that can have a deadly effect. On a summer morning last year, Fred Schaub drove his Toyota RAV4 into the garage attached to his Florida home and went into the house with the wireless key fob, evidently believing the car was shut off. Twenty-nine hours later, he was found dead, overcome with carbon monoxide that flooded his home while he slept.“ After 75 years of driving, my father thought that when he took the key with him when he left the car, the car would be off,” said Mr. Schaub’s son Doug. (Jeans and De Puy Kamp, 5/13)

The New York Times: His College Knew Of His Despair. His Parents Didn’t, Until It Was Too Late.
In the days after her son Graham hanged himself in his dormitory room at Hamilton College, Gina Burton went about settling his affairs in a blur of efficiency, her grief tinged with a nagging sense that something did not add up. She fielded requests and sympathy notes from the college, promising the dean of students a copy of his obituary “so you can see how special Hamilton was to him.” This was why his suicide “makes no sense,” she added in a puzzled aside. The next day, Ms. Burton accepted condolences from the college president, and assured him “how right a choice Hamilton was” for her son. (Hartocollis, 5/12)

Stat: Head Of Biden Cancer Initiative Draws On Own Diagnosis To Speed Research
Greg Simon has worn many hats: in industry, at think tanks, and in and around the White House. Though he once worked under Al Gore as a domestic policy adviser, among other posts, in recent years his focus has narrowed to cancer — largely because he is a survivor himself. ... These days, Simon is heading up the Biden Cancer Initiative — tapped by former Vice President Joe Biden to find ways to improve the broader system of cancer care. (Keshavan, 5/14)

Stat: A Pencil, Not A Pair Of Scissors: CRISPR Pioneers' New Company Bets On Base Editing To Cure Disease 
Months after its dozen scientists began working in secret on what’s been called “the most clever CRISPR gadget” so far, the latest company hoping to deploy genome-editing to cure diseases came out of stealth mode on Monday. Beam Therapeutics, which registered as a corporation in Massachusetts in March and has been doing experiments since last year, is debuting as CRISPR companies are popping up like dandelions, but right out of the gate Beam stands out in a crowded field. Its three founders are among the world’s leading CRISPR’ers, Editas Medicine (EDIT) has an equity stake, and in addition to the $13 million it’s raised (from Arch Venture Partners and F-Prime Capital Partners), it has commitments for another $85 million. (Begley, 5/14)

The Associated Press: A Surprising Bullying Battleground: Senior Centers
The unwanted were turned away from cafeteria tables. Fistfights broke out at karaoke. Dances became breeding grounds for gossip and cruelty. It became clear this place had a bullying problem on its hands. What many found surprising was that the perpetrators and victims alike were all senior citizens. Nursing homes, senior centers and housing complexes for the elderly have introduced programs, training and policies aimed at curbing spates of bullying, an issue once thought the exclusive domain of the young. (Sedensky, 5/12)

The New York Times: Ebola Erupts Again In Africa, Only Now There’s A Vaccine
Ebola has erupted again in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country’s ninth outbreak since the virus was discovered there in 1976, and world health officials are moving unusually swiftly to contain the outbreak. Two days after a laboratory confirmed that the virus had killed two people in the remote Equateur Province, teams from the country’s health department, along with doctors from the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders, had reached Bikoro, a market town about 20 miles from Ikoko Ipenge, the village at the outbreak’s epicenter. (McNeil and Cumming-Bruce, 5/11)

The Washington Post: Teenage Behavior Can Be Understood Through Brain Development
Teenagers! They chew Tide Pods and have unprotected sex. They use social media we haven’t even heard of and are walking hormone machines. It’s easy to mock their outsize sense of self and their seemingly dumb decisions. But not so fast, says cognitive neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore: The adolescent brain is nothing to laugh at. (Blakemore, 5/13)

NPR: Researchers Test Vitamin C Treatment For Sepsis
Scientists have launched two large studies to test a medical treatment that, if proven effective, could have an enormous impact on the leading cause of death in American hospitals. The treatment is aimed at sepsis, a condition in which the body's inflammatory response rages out of control in reaction to an infection, often leading to organ damage or failure. There's no proven cure for sepsis, which strikes well over 1 million Americans a year and kills more than 700 a day. (Harris, 5/11)

The Baltimore Sun: With Help From Maryland Doctors, Horse Racing Industry Takes On Concussions 
Jockeys take huge risks for little pay — riding atop horses weighing more than 1,000 pounds running 40 miles per hour. They are independent contractors, responsible for their own health care, and typically paid per race plus a small share of any winnings. The horse racing industry has long tolerated and even encouraged an ethic of racing battered and bandaged -- but, like football and other sports, the dangers of concussions may be driving a change at the tracks. (Cohn, 5/11)

The Washington Post: Noise Exposure Is Becoming ‘The New Secondhand Smoke’
One of the quietest places in this noisy city is in the middle of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which draws 7 million visitors a year. Most don’t know of the tiny Astor Chinese Garden Court tucked deep within the giant museum. And so, it is quiet here. In a city whose cacophony can reach 95 decibels in Midtown Manhattan — way above the federal government’s recommended average of no more than 70 decibels — the commotion over all that racket involves irate residents, anti-noise advocates, bars, helicopter sightseeing companies, landscapers and construction companies, as well as City Hall. (Fetterman, 5/12)

The Washington Post: UN Agency Calls For All Countries To Rid Foods Of Trans Fat
The World Health Organization is calling on all nations to rid foods of artificial trans fats in the next five years. The United Nations agency has in the past pushed to exterminate infectious diseases, but now it’s aiming to erase a hazard linked to chronic illness. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was expected to issue the call to action at a news conference in Geneva on Monday. (Stobbe, 5/13)

The Wall Street Journal: Food Makers Vow To Cut Trans Fats Globally
The public health arm of the United Nations said it will urge governments to ban or restrict those fats and replace them with healthier fats and oils. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said eliminating trans fats from human diets would be “a global win in the fight against cardiovascular disease.” Multinational companies that make trans fats and have used them as ingredients said they have largely eliminated those oils from foods in the U.S., parts of Europe and Canada, where governments already restrict their use. But trans fats remain widely used where regulators and food makers have been slower to take action. Many of the fats are in foods or oils made by local producers. (McKay and Bunge, 5/14)

In other news on food and health —

The New York Times: G.M.O. Foods Will Soon Require Labels. What Will The Labels Say?
The United States Department of Agriculture has proposed new guidelines for labeling foods that contain genetically modified ingredients. Food makers will be required by federal law to use the labels, starting in 2020. The safety of genetically modified ingredients, widely known as G.M.O.s, remains a source of anxiety for some Americans despite the scientific studies that say they pose no health threat. Many food makers now voluntarily place “No G.M.O.’’ labels on their products as a marketing tactic. (Harmon, 5/12)

The New York Times: Cod And ‘Immune Broth’: California Tests Food As Medicine
On a foggy afternoon, Diana Van Ry, a retired judicial assistant, dropped by the boisterous kitchens of the nonprofit group where she volunteers to pick up rock cod, cauliflower couscous and an “immune broth” enriched with vegetables and seaweed. She planned to deliver the meals to Brandi Dornan, 46, who is recuperating from breast cancer. “It’s food I wouldn’t have thought to make myself,” said Ms. Dornan, who started getting the meals during radiation therapy and is grateful for the help. “Wow, bless their hearts.” (Brown, 5/11)

The Washington Post: New Therapies Offer Hope For Peanut Allergies
Among food allergies, peanut allergy is one of the most severe: A minuscule amount of peanut protein may lead to anaphylactic shock and even death. Surveys show an upswing in incidence in the United States over the past two decades; a study last year estimated that nearly 2.5 percent of U.S. children may be allergic. All that the families of affected kids can do is avoid peanut products and keep antihistamines or epinephrine handy in case of a reaction. (Dance, 5/12)

The Washington Post: Salmonella Outbreak Tied To Rose Acre Farms Sickens 35 People, CDC Says
A salmonella outbreak that led to a recall of nearly 207 million eggs has now sickened nearly three dozen people in states along the East Coast. Thirty-five people — up by 12 over the past few weeks — have been sickened by Salmonella braenderup, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week. The outbreak, which has been traced to a single egg producer, has resulted in 11 hospitalizations. No deaths have been reported. (Phillips, 5/12)

Dallas Morning News: Texas Doctors Send Letter Slamming Blue Cross’ ER Billing Process 
Some of the state’s most influential doctors’ groups are pressing the insurance commissioner to investigate a change that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is making to its emergency room coverage. Starting June 4, some policyholders with the state’s largest health insurer could face sticker shock after a visit to the emergency room. In a letter made public last month, Blue Cross said it will no longer pay the bill if it’s determined later that the patient wasn’t facing a serious or life-threatening medical event. (Rice, 5/12)

The New York Times: Puerto Rico Nervously Prepares For Hurricane Season: ‘What If Another One Comes?’
Next week, nearly eight months after Hurricane Maria tore across Puerto Rico and ravaged its frail power grid, the Army Corps of Engineers, which was charged with restoring the island’s electricity, will hand off its mission and depart. Thousands of Puerto Ricans will still be in the dark. Two weeks later, a new hurricane season will begin. And Puerto Ricans, who are struggling to recover from Maria, fear they will not be ready. (Mazzei, 5/14)

San Francisco Chronicle: Where California’s Candidates For Governor Stand On Fixing Health Care
The top six gubernatorial candidates not only differ when it comes to single-payer, they disagree on what to do next to fix the state’s $400 billion health care industry. And few offer specifics on how they would implement their ideas. (Garofoli, 5/13)

Seattle Times: Gov. Inslee Pushes To Add Psychiatric Beds Around Washington State
Gov. Jay Inslee announced a new push Friday to improve Washington’s troubled mental-health system by reducing the number of civilly committed patients in the state’s two large psychiatric hospitals. In a sweeping overhaul, the plan would nearly eliminate those types of patients from the two hospitals, sending them to smaller facilities to be built in communities throughout Washington, while refocusing the institutions that are treating patients in the criminal-justice system. (O'Sullivan, 5/11)

Sacramento Bee: Homeless People Cycle Between Hospitals And Streets. Is Whole Person Care The Answer?
It is a cycle that repeats itself regularly among Sacramento's homeless men and women, and one that the community's pilot Whole Person Care program intends to address. The $64 million program, which officially launched this month, targets homeless people who are frequent users of costly emergency medical services. (Hubert, 5/11)

Minnesota Public Radio: Minnesota Highlights Expanded Services For People Facing A Mental Health Crisis
May is national Mental Health Month, and Minnesota officials are using the opportunity to remind people about expanded services for those experiencing a mental health crisis. ...The efforts come at the same time that Canvas Health, the nonprofit which helps operate the state's suicide prevention phone hotline, is considering closing the hotline due to ongoing funding issues. (Moen, 5/13)

The Wall Street Journal: Los Angeles Mayor’s Political Future Tied To Plan To Solve City’s Homeless Crisis
Since taking office five years ago, Mayor Eric Garcetti has marketed this city as a model of how an American metropolis can dream big: wooing the 2028 Olympics, courting high-tech companies and pushing for a “subway to the sea.” But last month, the mayor tied his political future to a goal that has long vexed policy makers here: housing the city’s homeless, which he publicly declared his “No. 1 issue.” Homelessness has exploded during his tenure, leaving Los Angeles with a fast growing population of people living in cars, parks and on the streets. (Malas and Lazo, 5/13)

Denver Post: Cohen Veterans Network Opening New Mental Health Center In Greenwood Village
About half of U.S. military veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan don’t receive the mental health treatment they need, and the vast Veterans Health Administration system often doesn’t offer care for veterans’ families or for many veterans who were not honorably discharged. So, on Monday, a new clinic funded by one of the nation’s wealthiest men and linked with the University of Colorado will officially open in Greenwood Village to help meet the need. (Ingold, 5/11)

Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Mental Health Hospital: Saint Thomas Plans New 76-Bed Facility
Saint Thomas Health is planning a new 76-bed behavioral health treatment center in Nashville's Metro Center area, relieving crowding at Davidson County emergency rooms where patients with mental disorders often wait more than a day for psychiatric treatment. The Nashville hospital chain expects to begin building the $32 million facility on an empty 5-acre lot at 300 Great Circle Road this fall. It could open in early 2020. (Kelman, 5/11)

San Francisco Chronicle: Data Breach Affects Nearly 900 Patients From Two San Francisco Hospitals
The personal information of nearly 900 patients of San Francisco General and Laguna Honda hospitals was breached after a former employee of one of the hospitals’ vendors got unauthorized access to the data, the San Francisco Public Health Department said Friday. (Ho, 5/11)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Second Measles Cases Confirmed In New Orleans, Health Officials Say
State health officials are investigating a confirmed case of measles in New Orleans. The case is not related to another measles case that was reported in early April, health officials said. In both cases, the individuals were not vaccinated. "It can take anywhere from 10 to 21 days after a person comes in contact with someone with measles for that person to develop symptoms. We are beyond 21 days since the last reported case so we are confident the two cases are not related," said Dr. Parham Jaberi, Assistant State Health Officer in a statement. (Clark, 5/ 11)

Kansas City Star: Kansas City Reaches Milestone In Its Two Measles Outbreaks
Kansas City has reached an encouraging milestone in the two measles outbreaks that have been spreading in the metro area since early March. It's been more than 21 days, or one full incubation period, since the last known public exposure. (Marso, 5/11)

KQED: SF Voters May Ban Menthol Cigarettes, Vape Flavors
San Francisco could become the first city in the nation to ban flavored tobacco products from all store shelves. This includes everything from candy flavored e-cigarettes to conventional menthol smokes. (McClurg, 5/14)

Bloomberg: Trump Surrenders In The War On Drug Prices
U.S. prescription-drug prices are outrageous. This is so obvious it offers rare common ground for people on both sides of the political divide. One of President Donald Trump’s most effective 2016 pitches was his pledge to do something about it. But the plan Trump announced today avoided big moves and tough decisions, Max Nisen writes. For example, he could have fulfilled a campaign pledge to have the government negotiate prices on behalf of patients. Instead, his plan proposes modest tweaks to Medicare Part D. That’s better than nothing, but a missed opportunity for bigger savings. (Mark Gongloff, 5/11)

The Washington Post: Trump Is Telling The Truth About American Pharmaceuticals
Americans spend approximately 90 percent more for the medicines they use, as a percentage of income, than do citizens of the five largest European markets, according to a recent study by University of Southern California (USC) experts. This contributes to the high cost of health care in the United States and to chronic disparities in health outcomes. President Trump on Friday unveiled a plan to tackle these high prescription-drug prices. (5/12)

The New York Times: What’s Good For Pharma Isn’t Good For America
So Donald Trump broke another promise: he did not, after all, empower Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. Instead he (and Michael Cohen, who definitely isn’t his bagman) took money from drug lobbyists, appointed them to key positions, and announced a plan that sent drug stocks soaring. I’m sure you’re shocked.But promise-breaking aside, would introducing a policy of bargaining drug prices down have been good for America? Actually, yes. (Paul Krugman, 5/12)

Bloomberg: The Best Fix For Drug Prices Is Already On The Books
The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act — better known as Hatch-Waxman — was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan 34 years ago. Sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, a devout conservative, and Representative Henry Waxman of California, a flaming liberal, its primary purpose was to make drugs more affordable by kick-starting the relatively new generic drug industry. This law made it much easier to bring generic drugs to the market — for instance, the kind of clinical testing required to get a new drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration was largely eliminated for generics. To supply an extra incentive, the first manufacturer to have a particular drug ready would get the market to itself for 180 days before all the other companies came out with their generic version.(Joe Nocera, 5/11)

WBUR: A Mother's Day Message To Pharma: Lower Your Insulin Prices
Today in the United States there are about 3 million people with Type 1 diabetes and about 4 million with Type 2 diabetes who depend on insulin to stay healthy. The cost to patients for their insulin and supplies can be as high as $1,400 a month. (Vikas Saini, 5/11)

Stat: Novartis' Tone-Deaf Response To Michael Cohen: Troubling But Not Surprising
When Donald Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, approached Novartis early last year to provide access to the new Trump administration, the company’s response was tone-deaf. But it was hardly a surprise. The personal lawyer and “fixer” for the president came knocking as big drug makers were anxious about the future, since candidate Trump had lambasted them for through-the-roof prices. So former Novartis chief executive Joe Jimenez quickly authorized a one-year, $1.2 million deal. This was considerably more than Novartis typically paid Washington lobbyists. And it wasn’t for Cohen’s policy expertise — he knew nothing about health care. (Ed Silverman, 5/14)

The Washington Post: Why Would A Swiss Health-Care Company Pay Michael Cohen $1.2 Million? Look At Drug Prices. 
You know how a person with a leg cramp needs to walk it off? News of Michael Cohen’s attempted transformation last year from New York taxi medallion merchant to Washington wise man has given me a brain cramp, and I need to think it through. Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis hired President Trump’s designated porn-star silencer to “advise the company as to how the Trump administration might approach certain US healthcare policy matters,” as the company explained in a very embarrassed statement this week. Based on little more than the man’s boasts about his influence, Novartis agreed to pay Cohen, Trump’s conduit to alleged lover Stormy Daniels, $1.2 million per year, in 12 monthly installments. (David Von Drehle, 5/11)

The Washington Post: The VA Is Working Just Fine, Thank You Very Much
What is clear is that the dismantling of VA is desirable to Republicans because of what it represents: a successful, publicly funded, integrated health-care system. Yes, I said successful. Sure, VA suffers from a bloated bureaucracy. Delays in getting appointments with primary-care providers have been subjected to considerable scrutiny. But doctor shortages plague U.S. health care as a whole. Just ask anyone who is seeking a new primary-care physician. (Andrew J. Cohen, 5/11)

Los Angeles Times: Undermining An Effective Birth Control Funding Program To Promote Abstinence Is The Height Of Stupidity
For nearly half a century, the Title X Family Planning Program has been a crucial source of federal dollars for family planning and related healthcare services for low-income Americans. Enacted with bipartisan support in 1970, the program's mandate to provide "a broad range of acceptable and effective family planning methods and services" has helped millions of lower-income women each year obtain contraceptives and take control of their destinies, at least in terms of deciding if and when to have children .In 2015, according to a federal government report, more than 4 million patients (the vast majority of them women) got healthcare through Title X funds, including screening for breast and cervical cancers and sexually transmitted diseases. Researchers at the Guttmacher Institute, which supports reproductive rights, estimates that Title X care helped women avoid more than 800,000 unintended pregnancies that year. (5/14)

The New York Times: Medical Mystery: Something Happened To U.S. Health Spending After 1980
The United States devotes a lot more of its economic resources to health care than any other nation, and yet its health care outcomes aren’t better for it. That hasn’t always been the case. America was in the realm of other countries in per-capita health spending through about 1980. Then it diverged. (Austin Frakt, 5/14)

The Washington Post: A Near-Universal Health-Care Plan That Wouldn’t Break The Bank
Since the day Obamacare passed, as Republicans have sought to sabotage it, Democrats have hoped for more. Their hopes have taken them ever closer to pushing a radical upending of the health-care system, exemplified in Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders’s plan for a European-style single-payer program, which a growing list of prospective Democratic presidential candidates has endorsed. But there are options that are neither as cruel as the GOP’s miserly repeal-and-replace nor as disruptive as the more sweeping left-wing proposals. In other words, they are compassionate and realistic. (5/13)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Calorie Nags At The FDA Won't Make Us Healthier, Just Grumpier
This week, a new federal rule went into effect mandating virtually all businesses that serve food prominently display the calorie count for the items they sell. ...Yet with the new rule, the federal government is taking away the delight of enjoying restaurant food, reducing every bite to an antiseptic caloric transaction. (Christian Schneider, 5/11)

The New York Times: The World Doesn’t Need Trans Fats
Most of the American food industry stopped using artificial trans fats, a leading cause of heart disease and death globally, well in advance of a federal ban that goes into effect next month, and few consumers noticed the change in their French fries or doughnuts. But these fats are still commonly used in the Middle East, India, Pakistan and elsewhere, which is why it is welcome news that the World Health Organization is calling on countries to phase them out by 2023. (5/14)

Columbus Dispatch: Kansas Medicaid Plan Is Too Harsh
The Trump administration is all too willing to cut Medicaid benefits and the number of people receiving them. They’ve signaled this by allowing states to end retroactive eligibility and to impose work requirements. Their overall message is that states need maximum flexibility because states almost always know best. But remarkably, Kansas went too far even for this administration. Last week, Kansas became the first and so far only state to be refused a Medicaid waiver under the current president. The federal government ruled that no, Kansas can’t kick people off Medicaid, the health care program for low-income Americans, just because they’ve been on it for three years. (5/13)

Miami Herald: The New Poor People’s Campaign Seeks To Fight Enduring Poverty And Injustice
The new Poor People’s Campaign (www.poorpeoplescampaign.org) will begin Monday in 30 state capitals, including Tallahassee, and continue for 40 days. (Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis) Theoharis says it will involve “organizing, educating and power building, voter registration and mobilization” around “issues like voter suppression, issues like poverty and low wages, issues like the lack of healthcare, issues like the fact that more people die in this world from pollution than from any other cause.” (Leonard Pitts, Jr., 5/11)

Orlando Sentinel: Florida's Dismal National Ranking On Health Care Deserves Attention And Action From Every Aspiring State Leader
Florida politicians might be more comfortable on the stump talking about jobs created, taxes cut and tourists attracted. But unless they have a serious plan to deal with the state’s festering health-care problems — which threaten our economy and quality of life — the accomplishments politicians like to showcase are on shaky ground. (5/11)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Food Stamp Cuts In Farm Bill Are A Needless Attack On The Poor. 
In the famous passage from Chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says to his disciples, "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink ...." His disciples are confused, saying, "When did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?" Jesus replies, "Whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did for me." Offering food and drink to our neighbors in need is at the heart of our shared values in Greater Cleveland. ...Sadly, these values are not reflected in the latest farm bill, a critical piece of legislation governing America's agriculture and nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called food stamps). (Rachel Cahill and Paul Bernier, 5/13)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin's BadgerCare Work Rules A Barrier In Opioid Treatment
Imposing work requirements on BadgerCare will keep MAT out of reach of the Wisconsinites who need it most; Wisconsin has an application pending with the federal government to impose work requirements on BadgerCare patients. The Trump administration has signaled a readiness to approve the application, as it has done in four states already this year. (Annie Stumpf, 5/11)

Cincinnati Enquirer: It's Time To Tell The Truth About The Opioid Crisis
As political rhetoric, grandstanding and baseless claims have swirled about who is to blame for the opioid epidemic, the crisis itself rages onward, harming – and even killing– Kentuckians in its destructive path. It’s time to embrace solutions for this crisis, and one solution stands above the rest: Enable Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioners (APRNs) to reduce the opioid crisis by removing collaborative agreement restrictions. (Jessica Estes, 5/11)

Detroit News: Get Drugs Out Of The Mail
Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a successful takedown of drug traffickers in Operation Saigon Sunset, dismantling a major criminal network responsible for trafficking drugs from Detroit to Huntington, West Virginia. The investigation was massive, seizing enough fentanyl to kill a quarter-million people. Every American should be grateful for the brave law enforcement agents who took these drugs off our streets, but they should be troubled that toxic synthetic opioids like fentanyl are able to enter Michigan so regularly and easily in the first place. A security gap in the global postal service enables much of this deadly trade, and is helping fuel the opioid epidemic in Michigan and across the country. (Tom Ridge, 5/13)

The Wall Street Journal: Why California Leaves Its Homeless Out In The Sun
When most people think about the city of Anaheim, Disneyland or the Angels baseball team probably comes to mind. But until recently it was also home to one of California’s fastest-growing housing developments: a homeless encampment. ...Rising vagrancy in Southern California is creating a Catch-22: People don’t want the homeless living on their streets, but they don’t want homeless shelters in their neighborhoods either. (Allysia Finley, 5/11)

Des Moines Register: Hy-Vee Earns Rose For Offering Health Insurance To Part-Time Workers
Like many companies, Hy-Vee is struggling to find enough employees amid a labor shortage in Iowa. It knows this state has many reliable, good people who cannot or do not want to work full-time, and it wants to accommodate them. "Benefits are an important component to the health and satisfaction of our employees," Sheila Laing, Hy-Vee’s chief administrative officer and executive vice president, said in a press release. The company began in January offering benefits to employees 19 and older who work 20 or more hours a week. Those eligible can choose from benefits that include health, dental, short-term disability, life, homeowners and rental insurance. The program also covers spouses and dependents. (5/11)

Kansas City Star: Unvaccinated Children In Missouri Don't Need Extra Protection From Discrimination
Proposed legislation introduced by Missouri state Rep. Lynn Morris would prohibit discrimination against people who are not immunized. But language in the bill is vague and would pose a risk to public health if passed in its current form. In other words, it’s a flawed and unnecessary measure. State law requires children attending public, private, parochial or parish schools to be immunized against measles and other contagious diseases unless they have a medical or religious exemption. (5/13)

Kansas City Star: Missouri House’s Medical Marijuana Bill Is A Smokescreen
It is very clear from statewide polling data that the majority of Missourians want access to medical marijuana if they have a terminal illness or are suffering from a debilitating medical condition.While I appreciate the opinion expressed in a recent Star editorial that a legislative solution is preferable to a constitutional amendment for addressing the legality of medical marijuana in Missouri, I respectfully disagree. (David Clark, 5/13)