Axios

Medicare Advantage enrollment is declining in seven states this year, an analysis of federal data shows.

Why it matters: The private Medicare program that covers more than half of seniors still is growing nationally, but at a slower rate than in the recent past as rising medical costs and federal policy changes spur a market realignment.

Democrats are eyeing aggressive oversight of controversial Trump administration moves on vaccines, Medicaid cuts and drug pricing if they flip control of one or both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.

Why it matters: If Democrats win the House, they would have much greater ability to investigate the Trump administration and its dealings with the health care industry, including through the use of subpoenas.

Fewer pregnant Americans are getting prenatal care in the first weeks of pregnancy — or at all — reversing years of progress, new CDC data show.

Why it matters: Skipping first-trimester care raises the risk of preventable complications for moms and babies.

President Trump hailed the U.S. intelligence-assisted security operation in Mexico that killed the drug lord known as "El Mencho" during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, saying: "We've ... taken down one of the most sinister cartel kingpins."

The big picture: Officials working to combat drug trafficking have had a successful week, with prosecutors in Florida announcing charges against a suspected leader of another terrorist-designated Mexican cartel.

Making Tuesdays more memorable could keep the rest of the week from dragging.

The big picture: It's probably Tuesday if you don't remember what day it is.

Novo Nordisk on Tuesday said it's lowering the list price for its blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes drugs by as much as half starting next year, to $675 per month.

Why it matters: The move could help lower out-of-pocket costs for certain patients whose insurance plans can leave them exposed.

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday laid out a new pathway aimed at spurring novel individualized treatments targeting rare diseases.

Why it matters: Officials said the draft rules would make it easier for industry to develop more types of promising new treatments for rare diseases, including with CRISPR gene-editing technology.

The U.S. State Department is urging American citizens in several parts of Mexico to shelter in place following an operation that led to the death of the country's most-wanted drug lord.

The big picture: Violence erupted across Mexico following the cartel leader's death, affecting flights and business operations.

The punches keep coming for Novo Nordisk in its bout with Eli Lilly for weight-loss drug supremacy.

Why it matters: Novo was the early GLP-1 leader — so dominant that its diabetes drug Ozempic became shorthand for the class — but Lilly has pulled ahead in what has quickly become one of pharma's richest battlegrounds.

Ralph Abraham is stepping down as the second highest-ranking official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, continuing the churn within the top ranks of the Trump administration's health team.

Why it matters: The former Louisiana surgeon general had been on the job less than three months, gaining notice for downplaying the possible loss of the U.S.'s measles elimination status and calling it "the cost of doing business."