Health Headlines for Tuesday, January 24
U.S. blocks health insurer Aetna’s $34 billion Humana acquisition
Reuters
A U.S. judge blocked on Monday health insurer Aetna Inc’s proposed $34 billion acquisition of smaller peer Humana Inc, raising the stakes for rival Anthem Inc as it battles to close a $54 billion deal to buy Cigna Corp.
The Fight Trump Faces Over Drug Prices
New York Times
President Trump has made it clear that he thinks drug prices are too high and that the pharmaceutical industry, as he put it at a news conference this month, is “getting away with murder.”
Cigna settlement reverses insurer’s psych test policy
Press Republican
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman’s office has reached a settlement with Cigna requiring the health insurer eliminate a written ban on coverage for claims for neuropsychological testing of psychiatric conditions and autism spectrum disorder.
WHO on ‘High-Alert’ Over New Outbreaks of Bird Flu
NBC New York
The World Health Organization is urging all countries to monitor avian influenza and to report any human cases that could indicate the beginning of a flu pandemic, Reuters reported.
Another Voice: State is taking away self-insurance as a health coverage option
Buffalo News
Some legislators in Albany have a bizarre message for many of the state’s mid-sized businesses – quit offering your current health benefits.
Wider Racial Gap Found in Cervical Cancer Deaths
New York Times
The death rate from cervical cancer in the United States is considerably higher than previously estimated and the disparity in death rates between black women and white women is significantly wider, according to a study published Monday in the journal Cancer.
E-Cigarettes may lure teens who otherwise might not smoke
Reuters
E-cigarettes aren’t tied to a decline in teen smoking and the devices may actually entice some youth who are unlikely to try traditional cigarettes, a U.S. study suggests.
Exercise Can Be a Boon to People With Parkinson’s Disease
New York Times
Susan Sills, a Brooklyn artist who until recently made life-size cutouts on plywood using a power saw, long suspected she might be at risk for developing Parkinson’s disease.
Drug industry unveils massive new campaign to counter criticism
Stat News
Under withering public criticism, the drug industry is doubling down on its arguments that the debate over drug prices is distorted, rolling out a multimillion-dollar ad campaign to repair its reputation and defend the value its medications provide.
Senators Propose Giving States Option to Keep Affordable Care Act
New York Times
Several Republican senators on Monday proposed a partial replacement for the Affordable Care Act that would allow states to continue operating under the law if they choose, a proposal meant to appeal to critics and supporters of former President Barack Obama’s signature health law.