Health Headlines for Thursday, December 20

Budget group says single-payer isn’t feasible

Crain’s New York Business

The most feasible path toward improving insurance coverage and access to care is to implement a targeted package of reforms rather than a state single-payer system, the Citizens Budget Commission said this week during a presentation in Manhattan.

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Exclusive: Big Pharma returning to U.S. price hikes in January after pause

Reuters

Novartis AG (NOVN.S) and Bayer AG (BAYGn.DE) are among nearly 30 drugmakers that have taken steps to raise the U.S. prices of their medicines in January, ending a self-declared halt to increases made by a pharma industry under pressure from the Trump administration, according to documents seen by Reuters.

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5 Ways Nixing The Affordable Care Act Could Upend The Entire Health System

Kaiser Health News

If Friday night’s district court ruling that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional were to be upheld, far more than the law’s most high-profile provisions would be at stake.

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Despite Challenges, Health Exchange Enrollment Falls Only Slightly

New York Times

The number of people signing up for insurance on the federal HealthCare.gov website declined slightly this year, the Trump administration reported on Wednesday, but a last-minute surge in enrollment showed that Americans were still eager for coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

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Federal judge kills Cuomo’s $600M opioid tax

Crain’s New York Business

A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a New York state law intended to raise $600 million from opioid manufacturers and distributors to pay for treatment and enforcement.

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