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: Of Cassidy-Graham’s four co-sponsors, only one has the support of his governor The latest Republican health-care bill gives significant power to the states. But several of the nation’s governors, including a handful of Republicans, aren't interested. The Washington Post Friday, September 22, 2017 CVS tightens restrictions on opioid prescriptions in bid to stanch epidemic CVS Health announced Thursday that it was limiting the amount and strength of prescription opioid painkillers it provides to patients taking the drugs for the first time, a step intended to help curb opioid abuse. Stat News Thursday, September 21, 2017 Graham-Cassidy Health Bill Would Shift Funds from States That Expanded Medicaid Senate Republicans' latest plan to overhaul the U.S. health care system ends with a massive shift of federal money from states that expanded Medicaid — and are largely dominated by Democrats — to those that refused to expand. NPR Thursday, September 21, 2017 Almost half of Americans favor single-payer healthcare system, poll finds Congressional Republicans may be trying once again to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with a more market-based approach, but a new poll finds that almost half of Americans favor a plan more in line with the single-payer offering served up earlier this year by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders. Healthcare Finance News Wednesday, September 20, 2017 Amazon in talks with PBMs over pharma supply chain Amazon is reportedly communicating with pharmacy benefit managers about potential drug contracts, according to a Leerink Partners analysis cited by CNBC. Amazon has been hiring more healthcare leaders and expanding its drug and medical supply distribution in recent months, spurring rumors the online retailer is stepping into the pharmacy business. Becker's Hospital Review Wednesday, September 20, 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.