Axios

As of Wednesday, the legal age to purchase tobacco and electronic cigarettes in the state of New York has gone up from 18 to 21 years old, NBC 4 reports.

Background: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law this summer in an attempt to curtail health threats associated with the use of tobacco products. The Health Department and New York State Police will perform undercover retail checks to determine where vaping products are sold to underage youth, according to a press release cited by CNN.

Antibiotic-resistant (AR) bacteria and fungi cause more than 2.8 million infections and 35,000 deaths annually in the U.S., according to new estimates posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a long-awaited report. But, while the overall numbers are "higher than previously estimated," the number of people dying from AR infections appears to be dropping.

Consumer inflation rose 0.4% in October, which was higher than expected due in large part to rising health care prices, according to new federal figures. The monthly spikes in inflation were especially prominent for health insurance costs (2.2%), prescription drugs (1.8%) and hospital services (1.4%).

The bottom line: "Inflation remains well-contained almost everywhere, with the major exception of the health care sector," left-leaning economist Dean Baker wrote in an analysis.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said at an Axios event on Wednesday that President Trump wants drug prices to be lower in the U.S. than in other developed countries, discussing the idea of "most favored nation status" to reflect that.

"[Trump's] view — which he’s articulated publicly — is that America ought to be getting the best deal among developed countries. That is the terminology of most favored nation status."

Live from Washington, D.C., Mike Allen hosts a conversation on prescription drug pricing, featuring Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Sen. Ron Wyden, Sen. Mike Braun and Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

Small biotechs are worried that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's drug pricing bill would dry up the venture capital funding that they need to survive, STAT reports.

Why it matters: These companies turn basic research into new drugs, and conduct 70% of clinical trials, according to data from BIO.

Americans pay higher out-of-pocket costs than most other wealthy countries, a byproduct of having the most expensive health care system in the world, according to the OECD.

Why it matters: Health care costs are at the heart of today's most explosive health care debates, including Medicare for All, prescription drug prices and surprise medical bills.

National Nurses United, the country's biggest nurses' union, will endorse Bernie Sanders in the 2020 presidential race this week, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: It's significant that the group chose to back Sanders and his "Medicare for All" plan despite the fact that he's facing a progressive challenger in Elizabeth Warren on the issue.

Juul Labs' new CEO, K.C. Crosthwaite, who joined the company in September, is moving quickly to try to reposition the company amid an onslaught of regulatory, research and business setbacks, a Juul official tells Axios.

Why it matters: The company will unveil Tuesday its plan to cut nearly $1 billion next year, including cuts to marketing and government affairs.