President Trump tweeted this morning that China's commitment to curtail fentanyl exports to the U.S. will have "incredible" results, although China has made a similar pledge before and experts say tackling the issue is complicated.
Between the lines: If China does take meaningful steps to crack down on fentanyl coming into the U.S., it could reduce the supply of the powerful drug in the U.S. Fentanyl, which is more potent than heroin, is a major contributor to opioid overdose deaths.
People near the poverty line who have access to health insurance through the Affordable Care Act are about 25% less likely to fall behind on a rent or mortgage payment than people who don't have coverage, according to a new study summarized in CityLab.
Details: The study compared people who fall into the ACA's "coverage gap," in states that haven't expanded Medicaid, against similarly situated people in expansion states (where there's no coverage gap).
The cause of a mysterious and rare polio-like illness that has infected at least 458 children since 2014, and may have killed a couple more than originally reported, is still being investigated by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention task force.
What's new: The CDC announced Monday that acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) appears to have peaked for this year in September and October. But the task force will continue seeking the elusive cause, which has "frustrated" investigators who are stymied by not finding the same pathogenin infected patients and because cases tend to be scattered sporadically throughout the U.S.
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) — the incoming chair and ranking member of the Finance Committee, respectively — plan to introduce a bill cracking down on the kind of tactics Mylan used to pay lower Medicaid rebates for EpiPens.
Why it matters: This is a strong signal that there's room for the committee to work together on drug pricing issues next year.
NJ.com raises a good point: New Jersey has done just about everything it can to counteract the Trump administration’s cuts to the ACA. Yet ACA enrollment is down by about 16% this year in the state.
Between the lines: Enrollment is down across the board, compared to the same period a year ago.
HHS' new report about ways to improve “choice and competition” in the U.S. health care system is stuffed with plenty of standard conservative talking points, but a few interesting policies endorsed by independent experts are also tucked inside.
Details: Several of the Trump administration's recommendations mirror an April 2017 policy paper authored by health care policy experts Martin Gaynor, Farzad Mostashari and Paul Ginsburg.
