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:

CVS Health's surprising deal for Aetna? It's all about Amazon
Amazon.com Inc has gained approval from a number of state pharmaceutical boards to become a wholesale distributor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Thursday, citing public records.
CNBC News
Thursday, October 27, 2017

Trump Declares Opioid Crisis a ‘Health Emergency’ but Requests No Funds
President Trump on Thursday directed the Department of Health and Human Services to declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency, taking long-anticipated action to address a rapidly escalating epidemic of drug use.
The New York Times
Thursday, October 26, 2017

Amazon gains wholesale pharmacy licenses in many U.S. states: report
Amazon.com Inc has gained approval from a number of state pharmaceutical boards to become a wholesale distributor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Thursday, citing public records.
Reuters
Thursday, October 26, 2017

Trump health official Seema Verma has a plan to slash Medicaid rolls
With a broad overhaul of Obamacare stalled in Washington, one of President Trump’s top health care leaders is drawing the outlines of sweeping changes to Medicaid that could pare enrollments and cut costs without congressional approval.
Stat News
Thursday, October 26, 2017

ACA stabilization bill would lower deficit by $3.8B, CBO says
The Senate HELP Committee’s bipartisan Affordable Care Act stabilization bill would lower the federal deficit by $3.8 billion from 2018-2027, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Fierce Healthcare
Wednesday, October 25, 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.