Friday Five: Top 5 healthcare business news items from the MCOL Weekend edition

By Claire Thayer, June 29, 2018

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:

Amazon Makes $1 Billion Splash in Health Care, Buying PillPack

Amazon.com Inc. is buying its way into the heart of the U.S. health-care system, instantly shaking up a prescription-drug industry already in the midst of a broader transformation.

Bloomberg

Thursday, June 28, 2018

The High Toll of High-Deductible Health Care Plans

Bloomberg looks at an important trend in health care coverage: the rise of employer-based high-deductible plans that mean many patients and families simply can’t afford to get sick.

Fiscal Times

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Gawande’s Goal Is Providing The ‘Right’ Health Care In New Venture By 3 Firms

Dr. Atul Gawande, the famed surgeon-writer-researcher chosen to lead a joint health venture by three prominent employers to bring down health costs, said his biggest goal is to help professionals “make it simpler to do the right thing” in delivering care to patients.

Kaiser Health News

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

House overwhelmingly passes final opioid package

The House on Friday overwhelmingly passed sweeping bipartisan opioid legislation, concluding the chamber’s two-week voteathon on dozens of bills to address the drug abuse epidemic.

Politico

Monday, June 25, 2018

Reversal of Fortune: Obamacare Rate Hikes Pose Headache for Republicans

Obamacare premiums are once again poised to spike by double digits in 2019, causing heartburn for politicians as voters will head to the polls within days of learning about the looming hit to their pocketbooks.

Politico

Sunday, June 24, 2018

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.