Axios

Pfizer, which has clashed with President Trump over drug prices, has appointed former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb to its board of directors. The role pays $335,000 annually in cash and stock.

The big picture: Since leaving the Trump administration roughly 3 months ago, Gottlieb has rejoined a conservative think tank and a venture capital firm that has pharmaceutical investments. Cycling between public office and well-paying private sector companies has become commonplace among FDA officials as well as other top health agency leaders.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Friday that she does not support abolishing private health insurance after she raised her hand to support that position during Thursday's Democratic presidential debate.

The big picture: Harris said that she interpreted the question as whether or not she'd give up her own private insurance, but this isn't the first time Harris has had to clarify her position on the issue. During a CNN town hall in January, Harris said she wanted to "eliminate all that" when asked about private insurance, but later backtracked to state that she wants to get rid of the bureaucracy that surrounds it.

Go deeper: Kamala Harris on the issues, in under 500 words

Tax-exempt hospitals are again raising eyebrows over how they harass patients, often the poorest, in court by trying to recoup medical debts.

Driving the news: ProPublica and MLK50 published a deep dive yesterday on Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, a $2 billion not-for-profit and faith-based hospital system in Tennessee that has filed more than 8,300 lawsuits against patients over the past 5 years.

Every single Democratic candidate at the Thursday debates said they support providing health care for undocumented immigrants in the United States.

Thought bubble from Axios' Caitlin Owens: All 10 may not support abolishing private insurance, but the fact that they all support providing health insurance to undocumented immigrants shows how far left the party has shifted in the 10 years since the ACA was passed.

When the 2020 candidates were asked if they would abolish private health insurance in favor of Medicare for All, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris quickly raised their hands, joining Elizabeth Warren, who raised her hand last night.

The big picture: That's 3 of the top 5 polling candidates. Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden do not support abolishing private insurance.

Medicare for All enthusiasts tend to be young and white, according to a poll by the right-leaning group One Nation.

Why it matters: Politically, it means embracing Medicare for All may not be very helpful for Democrats hoping to make inroads with older and minority voters.

Go deeper: Where the Democratic candidates stand on Medicare for All

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals added a new question on Wednesday to the high-stakes lawsuit over the Affordable Care Act's survival: Whether Democratic attorneys general or the House of Representatives have the legal standing to defend the ACA in court.

What it means: The court is asking whether it ought to kick out the entire pro-ACA side of the case. Technically Texas (with a group of other red states) is suing the Trump administration, but the Trump administration says it agrees with Texas' position. Blue states and House Democrats stepped in so that somebody would be arguing the pro-ACA position.

Some conservative lawmakers and advocacy groups are lining up against Congress' leading solution to surprise medical bills, saying it's too much government interference.

What they're saying: "If government rate setting is viewed as a 'patient protection' in these circumstances, it will lead to efforts to 'protect' patients through government rate setting in others," the Heritage Foundation's Doug Badger wrote.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio were the only candidates on the Democratic debate stage who said they would eliminate private insurance.

Our thought bubble from Axios' Caitlin Owens: "There's now no confusion as to whether these 10 candidates would support abolishing private insurance, whereas some had been wishy washy about it before."