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: 

Government watchdog: Costly air ambulances can put patients at 'financial risk'

Air ambulances can be life-saving for critically ill patients who need to get to a hospital quickly, but they can also put patients in financial risk, according to a study conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The Hill

Friday, March 22, 2019 

Health Plans For State Employees Use Medicare's Hammer On Hospital Bills

States. They're just as perplexed as the rest of us over the ever-rising cost of health care premiums.

NPR

Thursday, March 21, 2019 

Fentanyl-Linked Deaths: The U.S. Opioid Epidemic's Third Wave Begins

Men are dying after opioid overdoses at nearly three times the rate of women in the United States. Overdose deaths are increasing faster among black and Latino Americans than among whites. And there's an especially steep rise in the number of young adults ages 25 to 34 whose death certificates include some version of the drug fentanyl.

NPR

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Bayer shares slide after latest Roundup cancer ruling

Shares in Germany’s Bayer’s fell more than 12 percent on Wednesday after a second U.S. jury ruled its Roundup weed killer caused cancer.

Reuters

Wednesday, March 20, 2019 

Ohio accuses UnitedHealth's OptumRx of drug overcharges in lawsuit

Ohio’s attorney general on Monday said he had filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group Inc’s OptumRx unit, saying the pharmacy benefit manager had overcharged the state nearly $16 million for prescription drugs.

Reuters

Tuesday, March 19, 2019 

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.