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:

The Fate of 16.8 Million Medicaid Enrollees Rests On 20 GOP Senators From 14 States

The Senate is on the verge of debating legislation to repeal and “replace” the Affordable Care Act, and Medicaid is on the chopping block. Huffington Post, June 2, 2017

Trump Rule Could Deny Birth Control Coverage to Hundreds of Thousands of Women

The Trump administration has drafted a sweeping revision of the government’s contraception coverage mandate that could deny birth control benefits to hundreds of thousands of women who now receive them at no cost under the Affordable Care Act. The New York Times, June 1, 2017

Ohio Sues 5 Major Drug Companies For 'Fueling Opioid Epidemic'

The state of Ohio has sued five major drug manufacturers for their role in the opioid epidemic. In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, state Attorney General Mike DeWine alleges these five companies "helped unleash a health care crisis that has had far-reaching financial, social, and deadly consequences in the State of Ohio." NPR, May 31, 2017

How plan for California gov't health care might be funded

A pending state Senate bill would provide government-funded universal health care for California's 39 million residents. The bill faces a Friday deadline for passage out of the Senate if it is to be considered by the state Assembly. ABC News, May 31, 2017

Drug Rebates Reward Industry Players — And Often Hurt Patients

Medicare and its beneficiaries aren’t the winners in the behind-the-scenes rebate game played by drugmakers, health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, according to a paper published Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine. Kaiser Health News, May 30, 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.