Axios

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson has sent a civil investigative demand to CVS Health, the giant drug store chain and pharmacy benefit manager, seeking internal information related to pricing and rebates for insulin medications.

Why this matters: Ferguson is on the hunt. This disclosure comes just one day after drug company Eli Lilly disclosed that the attorneys general in Washington and New Mexico were investigating Lilly's skyrocketing insulin prices. Pharmacy benefit managers such as CVS have been accused of colluding with drug companies to jack up drug prices.

After Jimmy Kimmel shared his newborn son's health issues in an emotional monologue last night, and expressed thankfulness that less fortunate children can't be denied coverage later in life for similar pre-existing conditions, Barack Obama chimed in today with his support on Twitter:

The context: The Affordable Care Act is hanging in the balance, and as House Republicans scramble to gather votes for the repeal effort Obama is taking the opportunity to talk up his signature achievement.

Health insurer Molina Healthcare has abruptly fired its candid CEO, Dr. J. Mario Molina, and his brother and chief financial officer, John Molina, because of the company's "disappointing financial performance," Molina Chairman Dale Wolf said Tuesday. Their dad, an emergency room doctor, started the Medicaid-based insurance company in 1980 as a network of clinics for the poor.

Why this matters: This comes out of nowhere. Molina, a major player on the Affordable Care Act's individual marketplaces, had a rough 2016 due to the ACA plans. But the company was still profitable overall. Molina has been one of the most outspoken health insurance CEOs and was particularly critical of Republican efforts to repeal and replace the ACA.

Here's a nugget that encapsulates the health insurance industry, despite all the noise surrounding the future of the Affordable Care Act: In the first quarter of this year, Aetna collected more premium revenue from government programs (namely Medicare and Medicaid) than it did from commercial insurance for the first time ever.

Why this matters: Most people get their health coverage from their employer, and that historically has been the bread and butter of the insurance industry. But the aging population and expansion of Medicaid managed care means insurers are investing more time and money in the lower-margin (but still lucrative) government programs. Aetna, in particular, has invested heavily in Medicare Advantage.

It's also worth noting that people with individual ACA coverage represented just 2%, or about $300 million, of Aetna's first-quarter revenue. Aetna exited most ACA exchanges last year and will "significantly" reduce what's left of its ACA footprint next year.

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is facing civil investigations from attorneys general in New Mexico and Washington into its insulin prices, according to Lilly's latest quarterly filing. Washington's attorney general is also looking into Lilly's relationships with pharmacy benefit mangers — the middlemen who negotiate drug prices for insurance companies and employers.

Why this matters: The filing did not give details about the probes. But Lilly has already been in hot water over the rising prices of its insulin medications. A separate class-action lawsuit from earlier this year accused Lilly and two other insulin makers of colluding to jack up prices together. The lawsuit also alleged that the drug companies and pharmacy benefit managers are exploiting the pricing system to benefit each other. Lilly said it is cooperating with both state investigations.

President Trump abruptly ended his Oval Office interview with CBS' John Dickerson, which aired Monday, stating "that's enough" before walking away. Their conversation quickly turned tense when Dickerson asked Trump if his predecessor had given him any advice before taking office. Trump said Obama had been "very nice" at the start, but since there had been "difficulties."

Trump said Dickerson could "take it the way you want" when pressed on whether he still stood by calling Obama "sick and bad" while making those wiretapping claims. When Dickerson pushed on, stating that he wanted Trump's opinions because he's the president and didn't want it to be "fake news", Trump waved his hand and said:

OK, that's enough. Thank you. Thank you very much.

A new survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that 60% of Americans believe that lowering the cost of prescription drugs should be a "top priority" for Trump and Congress. Meanwhile, 72% said Americans should be allowed to buy prescription drugs imported from Canada, and 64% said they should be able to purchase them from online pharmacies based in Canada.

Why it matters: This is consistent with previous polls showing broad public support for government action on drug prices, but Republicans on Capitol Hill will still be wary of it even as President Trump pushes the issue.

The big conflict: The poll shows most Americans think cheaper drugs can be imported safely from other countries, but four former FDA commissioners have warned that this would pose a big safety risk.