The world's second-largest Ebola outbreak on record is underway in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has now spread to Uganda.
What to watch: The World Health Organization and aid groups are pouring resources into the region to try to contain it, but the longer this Ebola outbreak continues, the greater the likelihood it will spread to other highly populated areas within the country, move to other neighboring countries or even internationally.
Nonprofit hospitals are aggressive about suing patients to collect unpaid bills — in some ways, even more aggressive than their for-profit counterparts.
Driving the news: 36% of Virginia hospitals sued former patients and garnished their wages in 2017, according to a new study. And nonprofit hospitals account for the lion's share of those suits.
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.
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.
