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

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

CMS nominee breezes through confirmation hearing

The Hill reports: President Trump's pick to lead the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) cruised through her confirmation hearing Thursday, though Democrats showed frustration at her refusal to offer specifics.

The Hill

Thursday, February 16, 2017

The IRS Has Just Made Obamacare’s Individual Mandate Optional

The Fiscal Times reports: When President Trump signed an executive order shortly after taking office designed to weaken the Affordable Care Act, some questioned whether the instructions to federal agencies to look for ways to ease the law’s burden on businesses and individuals would have any real bite.

The Fiscal Times

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Amid Obamacare uncertainty, insurance giant Humana plans to leave marketplaces in 2018

Los Angeles Times reports: Humana Inc., one of the nation’s largest health insurers, will stop selling Obamacare health plans next year, the company announced Tuesday. The move threatens to rattle jittery insurance markets and further complicate Republicans’ push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

LA Times

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Aetna, Humana end $34 billion merger agreement

CNBC reports: Aetna and rival Humana are terminating their merger, after their $34 billion deal was blocked by a federal court on antitrust grounds. Aetna will pay Humana a $1 billion break-up fee, in accordance with the agreement.

CNBC

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Drugmaker Marathon ‘Pausing’ Delivery Of $89,000-A-Year Muscular Dystrophy Drug

Kaiser Health News reports: In a surprise move Monday, Marathon Pharmaceuticals told patient advocates that it would “pause” the launch of its drug Emflaza because of pricing concerns expressed by patients and advocacy groups.

Kaiser Health News

Monday, February 13, 2017

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