In emotional speech, CDC’s new leader vows to uphold science READ
Robert Redfield Jr., the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gave a deeply personal agencywide address Thursday in which he repeatedly underscored the importance of science and data and said the CDC’s most critical public health mission is to protect Americans “from that which we don’t expect.”
Azar taps former CVS executive to help lower drug prices READ
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar is tapping a former CVS Caremark executive to lead the agency’s efforts to lower drug prices. According to HHS, Daniel Best will be Azar’s senior adviser for drug pricing reform. Best was most recently a vice president of industry relations for CVS’s Medicare Part D business. This included the company’s prescription drug plans, Medicare Part D plans and other clients. In a statement, Azar said Best will lead the agency’s initiatives aimed at lowering drug prices — a top priority for the Trump administration.
iPhone medical record app now active for UCSD and Scripps patients READ
Patients with two San Diego-area health systems are among the first in the nation to gain access to Apple Inc.’s new health records app. The upgrade arrives with the Cupertino-based technology company’s latest update to the iPhone’s system software, allowing those who get their health care from 40 different provider networks nationwide to download and review their records using the Health app installed on the vast majority of Apple smartphones in use today. In the San Diego market, UC San Diego Health was the first to connect with the initiative when Apple named the university one of its dozen “beta” participants in January. Now, with the full launch, Scripps Health is also on board.
Walmart talking with Humana on closer ties; acquisition possible: sources READ
U.S. retailer Walmart Inc (WMT.N) is in early-stage talks with health insurer Humana Inc (HUM.N) about developing closer ties, with the acquisition of Humana being discussed as one possibility, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Should the talks lead to a tieup, it would be the latest deal to bring together a retail chain and a health insurer in the last few months, following CVS Health Corp’s (CVS.N) $69 billion deal to acquire Aetna Inc (AET.N) and Cigna Corp’s (CI.N) $54 billion deal to buy Express Scripts Holding Co (ESRX.O).