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:

Trump’s nominee to run Medicare and Medicaid advances

The Associated Press reports: President Donald Trump’s nominee to run Medicare and Medicaid won committee approval Thursday, clearing her for a final floor vote in the Senate.

AP via The Washington Post, March 2, 2017

Faring Better Than Many ACA Insurers, Molina Backs Health Law ‘Tuneup’

Kaiser Health News reports: Some large health insurance companies have suffered losses under the Affordable Care Act, leading to a few high-profile exits from the online marketplaces. Humana is just the latest, announcing in January that it will stop offering health insurance on the ACA health exchanges at year’s end.

Kaiser Health News,  March 2, 2017

High-Risk Pools Another Sticking Point Among Republicans

Morning Consult reports: Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday expressed opposition to House GOP leaders’ plan to cover people with pre-existing conditions, highlighting another division that Republicans must overcome to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Morning Consult, March 1, 2017

Insurers pay twice as much as hospitals for hip and knee implants

Stat News reports: Imagine this: You go to buy a car, but you don’t know who makes it, how other customers feel it’s performing, or how its price compares to other cars in its class.

Stat New, February 28, 2017

Hospitals, Both Rural And Urban, Dread Losing Ground With Health Law Repeal

Kaiser Health News reports: More than a year ago, she lost her job at a nearby rural hospital after it closed and, as Republicans work to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, wonders whether she’ll soon be out of work again.

Kaiser Health News, February 28, 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.