Health: Interesting Stories from CNBC

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Here is the latest Health News from CNBC.

Don’t pay that medical bill…just yet
Up to 80 percent of medical bills may contain an error. Here’s what to look for before you pay.

South Korea confirms first case of Zika virus
South Korea reported its first confirmed case of the Zika virus on Tuesday, its center for disease control said.

FDA requires warning on some opioid-based pills
The action is part of the agency’s plan to reassess its approach to opioid medications, the FDA said.

Centene and Health Net merger closer to approval
Health insurer Centene received approval for its $6.3 billion acquisition of Health Net from California regulators.

Merck wins part of Hepatitis C dispute with Gilead
The verdict is a major setback for Gilead, whose drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni brought in $19.2 billion in worldwide sales last year.

Merck Hep C patents found valid in Gilead dispute
An attorney for Merck said the company is seeking a 10 percent royalty on Gilead’s U.S. sales—about $21B in 2014 and 2015—of a Hepatitis C treatment.

A court case that could hurt Obamacare’s health
The Obama administration is accused of illegally giving insurers reimbursement to cut Obamacare customer out-of-pocket costs.

Valeant lenders talk tough on default terms
Creditors of Valeant Pharmaceuticals are beginning to demand new terms that could further pressure the drugmaker’s business model, sources said.

McKesson cuts 1,600 jobs to trim costs: Report
McKesson is cutting 1,600 jobs, or about 4 percent of its workforce, to slash costs after the company lost some key customers, Bloomberg reported.

GlaxoSmithKline CEO Witty to bow out in March 2017
GlaxoSmithKline said its CEO Andrew Witty would retire in 12 months, prompting Britain’s biggest drugmaker to start a formal search for his successor.

The big winner on St. Patrick’s Day: Dentists
Emergency visits to the dentist skyrocket right after St. Patrick’s Day because so many people get their teeth knocked out.

Newark school system to test for lead poisoning
Elevated levels of the toxin were found in school water.

Did Martin Shkreli fire an executive who spoke up?
Dorfman said he was fired weeks after telling CEO Martin Shkreli the increase “was not justified.” USA Today reports.

Intrexon CEO: I would not go to Brazil
Intrexon CEO tells CNBC that he would not go to Brazil with Zika virus outbreak.

Time to get your Obamacare tax situation in order
Most people will just need to check a box on their tax forms indicating if they had health coverage.

Puerto Rico to be ground zero of US Zika epidemic
The Zika virus has begun spreading through Puerto Rico, now the U.S.’s front line in a looming epidemic, The New York Times reports.

China reveals deadly vaccine sales ring
Chinese authorities are hunting 300 people suspected of illegally selling spoiled vaccines to medical centers across the country.

How to win at losing (weight)
Nutrition experts explain to CNBC how Americans can whip the battle of the bulge.

Valeant board ousted CEO Pearson: Source
Valeant says CEO Mike Pearson is leaving and former CFO Howard Schiller refused to quit the board.

We like this sector everyone hates: Smead CEO
Beleaguered health care stocks are a “fantastic” bet, says this investor

Anthem files suit against Express Scripts
The health insurer said it sought to recover damages from operational issues and drug pricing it believes was too high, among other reasons.

WHO: Sexual transmission of Zika more common
The World Health Organization says reports suggest that sexual transmission of Zika is more common than thought.

Canon nears Toshiba’s medical unit after fierce bid
Toshiba has granted Canon exclusive negotiating rights for its medical equipment unit after a hotly contested auction.

Valeant gives Pershing Square a seat on its board
The drug company gave shareholder Pershing Square a seat on its board and added two additional directors.

Despite her rhetoric, big pharma likes Hillary
The pharmaceutical industry has donated more to Clinton’s campaign than to any other candidate. This despite her harsh words for the industry.

FDA finds anti-Zika mosquito environmentally safe
A genetically engineered mosquito being used in the fight against Zika will not have a significant impact on the environment.

Cramer: This could someday replace oxycodone
“This is a way to get rid of a terrible, terrible drug, oxycodone,” CNBC’s Jim Cramer says.

GW Pharma doubles, cannabis drug succeeds in trial
Shares in GW Pharmaceuticals skyrocketed on Monday following positive results in the first Phase 3 study of its investigational medicine Epidiolex.

America’s looming retirement crisis
Blackstone’s president and a New School economist say it’s time to take this looming retirement crisis seriously.

Can candidates really do much about drug prices?
The candidates may talk about combating high drug prices, but Express Scripts says it takes more than talk.

NFL acknowledges link between game, brain damage
For the first time ever, the NFL has acknowledged that there is a link between football and brain damage.

Valeant plummets 51% on guidance cut, default risk
Investor Bill Ackman says he is still confident in Valeant and he plans to be more proactive.

Short seller and Mallinckrodt CEO go head-to-head
Andrew Left of Citron Research explains why Mallinckrodt is worse than Valeant. Mark Trudeau, Mallinckrodt CEO, responds.

Rural counties hit hard by premature death, ODs
Drug overdoses are helping drive an increase in rural premature deaths.

CDC guidelines aim to curb painkiller prescribing
The new recommendations are an effort to reverse rising painkiller use.

Bill Ackman lost $1B in one day on Valeant
Valeant’s stock closed down 51% to $33.54 a share Tuesday on disappointing financial news, USA TODAY reports.

Higher cost, fewer insured: Trump’s health plan
Trump’s plan could cost almost $500 billion and lead to 21 million more uninsured people.

Health data breaches: What do you have to lose?
There have already been more than 30 health data breaches involving more than 900,000 patient records in 2016.

Americans spent how much on plastic surgery?!
In 2015, Americans set a new record for the amount of money spent on cosmetic procedures, The Fiscal Times reports.

Big spike in spending on drugs: What’s behind it?
Drug spending increased by 12.6 percent in 2014, and will average a projected 7.3 percent annually through 2018.

Valeant says CEO will be back ‘immediately’
CEO Michael Pearson will return from medical leave, and the drugmaker will postpone the release of Q4 results planned for Monday.

Super Tuesday not so super for drug stocks
A Trump-Clinton faceoff could cause investors to keep selling drug stocks into the election.

New medical trend: Butt like J.Lo?
Booties are big business for plastic surgeons, The Washington Post reported.

Astronaut Scott Kelly grew 2 inches in space
After living for nearly a year in space, Scott Kelly is two inches taller than his twin brother. NBC News reports.

Blood pressure phone app misfires dangerously
Study shows hypertension patients who used this app were at risk of a misreading.

Google is donating $1M to fight Zika
Alphabet’s Google said its engineers were working with the U.N. child agency to map and anticipate the spread of the Zika virus.

Obamacare leads to 20M insurance boost: Admin
The uninsured rate has fallen to historic lows.

Immune cell breakthrough in cancer fight
Researchers have found a new way to identify immune cells capable of detecting tumors, The FT reports.

Tijuana plans big health center for Americans
A 26-story facility would service Americans who travel to Mexico for less-expensive medical care.

US Olympic panel creates disease advisory group
The infectious disease advisory group will help Team USA in the mitigation, assessment and management of illnesses.

Clinics may not lower health insurance costs
The savings offered by retail health clinics were outweighed by the overall spending increase resulting from increased use.

Donald Trump reveals details of his health care plan
Trump released his health care plan, detailing the way in which he would replace Obamacare. NBC News reports.

SEC’s Valeant probe began with review of short seller
A U.S. probe of Valeant was triggered by the company’s own request that regulators investigate a short seller’s allegations, Reuters reported.

$3B wasted on unused portion of cancer drugs: Study
High prices for cancer medicines aren’t the only reason they cost insurers and patients so much.

Share your fitness data for an Apple Watch or cash
Your company or insurer might soon reward you for wearing a fitness device to track your steps, heart rate and more.

Start-up makes sleep device to combat night terror
This entrepreneur says he has the solution to combating night terror.

Zika expected to infect 1 in 5 in Puerto Rico
With the rainy season looming, time is running out to stem the spread of the disease. The Washington Post reports.

Cancer ‘moonshot’ killer…Obamacare?
Obamacare may be the biggest roadblock to the president’s cancer “moonshot” plan, this doctor says.

Price hikes doubled average drug price over 7 years
The average cost for a year’s supply of a prescription drug doubled in just seven years to more than $11,000.

Health record access soon may be as easy as using Uber
The pact with private vendors of digital health records and health-care systems aims to make it easier to access and transfer that data.

Ackman: Uncertainty on Valeant will be over in weeks
Investor Bill Ackman told CNBC he expected under-fire pharma company Valeant to take just weeks to sort out the issues hammering its share price.

Report: Pfizer dodging $35B in taxes
Pfizer is trying to dodge an estimated $35 billion in US taxes by merging with Allergan, an advocacy groups charges.

Hospital performs first uterus transplant in US
Surgeons performed the first uterus transplant in the United States on a 26-year-old patient at the Cleveland Clinic.

US study of 9 pregnant women shows Zika in some
Zika infection during pregnancy was associated with many outcomes, including early pregnancy losses, microcephaly and healthy infants, the CDC said.

A 154-year-old legacy: Giving access to health care
The Dimock Health Center, founded in 1862, serves 17,000 patients a year in the heart of Boston’s African-American community.

Pancreatic cancer ‘breakthrough’ hailed
Researchers in the U.K. have made a “breakthrough reclassification” of pancreatic cancer.

Where to look for better health-care prices
Studies found wide differences in the price of medical treatments, depending on if they are inpatient or outpatient.

IBM acquiring Truven Health for $2.6B
IBM is buying Truven Health for $2.6 billion to bolster the health care capabilities of its Watson supercomputer.

Calif. changin’: Obamacare insurers see shift
Four big insurers saw their cumulative market share drop from almost 95 percent down to 90 percent this enrollment season.

Who loves big deductible health plans
Millennials are the biggest fans of high-deductible plans but put the least amount of money into health-savings accounts.

Community Health stock slumps after surprise loss
Investors are worried about a slowdown in patient volumes for hospital operators after a surge following Obamacare.

Scientists print living human body parts
Scientists at Wake Forest University can print out living human body parts using cells and a special gel, NBC reports.

Starbucks responds to ‘scandalous’ sugar accusation
Starbucks and some other eateries are under fire from a health advocacy group over high sugar levels in their hot drinks.

FDA: Ban blood collections from Zika-affected areas
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that blood should no longer be collected from regions where the Zika virus is circulating.

Mass. man arrested off Cuba for hospital hack
A man under investigation by the FBI was arrested in Miami this morning for allegedly hacking a hospital.

Huge insurance mergers inch toward approval
Major health insurers are still a long way from gaining federal approval for their mergers, but they’re optimistic their deals will close by year-end.

Novartis to overhaul Alcon but no ‘quick fix’: CEO
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis’ fourth quarter earnings miss expectations as the group prepares to overhaul its Alcon division.

No joke: Opioid constipation drugs are serious business
The U.S. market for drugs that target constipation from opiods could grow almost tenfold by 2019.

Zika spurs 38% of businesses to defer worker trips
U.S. multinationals, universities, and non-profits are allowing female employees to defer travel to where the Zika virus has been reported.

Martin Shkreli hit with $4.6M tax lien
Despite his tax woes, Shkreli is offering $10 million to Kanye West for sole possession of the singer’s new album.

We can take AIDS ‘off the planet’ by 2030: RED
HIV/AIDS could completely eliminated if “we did the right thing”, according to the chief executive of RED.

Biogen profit beats Street estimates as Tecfidera shines
Biogen’s quarterly profit breezed past Wall Street’s estimates, driven by higher demand for its key oral multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera.

These millionaires get Obamacare subsidies
Subsidies are available to people with low or moderate income, and aren’t tied to net worth.

Gilead may face legal action for pricing: Mass. AG
Mass. AG Maura Healey said the costs of two drugs may constitute an unfair trade practice.

Zika epidemic on US doorstep spurs vaccine hunt
The rapid spread of the zika virus has spurred the hunt for a cure, but the financial incentive and likely length of time for a vaccine are unclear.

As Zika virus spreads, no vaccine in sight
A vaccine for the Zika virus will likely not be available this year or the next, an NIH official said Thursday.

HealthCare.gov sees pre-deadline Obamacare surge
Sunday is the last day to sign up for individual health insurance plans and avoid an Obamacare penalty of $695 or more.

Martin Shkreli slaps down rapper in vulgar video
The rap-fueled beef with Ghostface Killah was recorded while the pharma exec Martin Shkreli is free on $5 million bond.

New dark truth behind white mortality
Common illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and respiratory conditions are causing more of the increase in deaths.

Disease expert on Zika: Americans shouldn’t panic
The Zika virus should not cause Americans to be “unduly alarmed just yet,” says infectious disease expert Paul Roepe.

Virginia college student contracts Zika virus
Officials for a university in Virginia say one of its students contracted the Zika virus over winter break.

You should be 18 to watch a ‘smoking’ movie: WHO
Movies which contain smoking scenes or tobacco imagery “should be given an adult rating”, a WHO report suggests.

Drugmaker Abbott to buy Alere for $5.8B
Drugmaker Abbott Laboratories said it would acquire Alere for $5.8 billion to boost its global diagnostics presence.

Stryker to buy Sage Products for $2.78B
One of the company’s biggest purchases comes as hospitals are under pressure to implement better safety programs.

Zika virus: The last thing Puerto Rico needed
Puerto Rico has seen 19 cases of the mosquito-borne virus so far, marking the latest problem for the indebted island.

One industry’s shares try to recover from Zika
Tourism and travel-related stocks have taken a hit from worries surrounding the Zika virus.

Ex-drug CEO Shkreli hires Jay Z, Diddy lawyer
Former drug CEO Martin Shkreli, facing fraud charges, hired a new lawyer who has previously represented Jay Z and Michael Jackson.

3 big things experts don’t yet know about Zika
There are many unanswered Zika virus questions health-care professionals and infectious disease experts want answered.

Waksal’s Kadmon said to plan IPO, sans Waksal
Kadmon, the biotechnology company founded by ImClone’s Sam Waksal, is preparing to file confidentially for an IPO, sources say.

Gilead beats on earnings, revenue
Gilead reported quarterly earnings and revenue that beat analysts’ expectations, boosted by sales of its drugs in Japan.

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