Reuters Health Report: March 20, 2017

Click to View in Browser Monday, March 20, 2017 Republicans revamp health bill, boost benefits to older Americans WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Republicans are working on changes to their healthcare overhaul bill to provide more generous tax credits for older Americans and add a work requirement for the Medicaid program for the poor, House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Sunday. Newer type 2 diabetes drugs show heart protective quality in study WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A newer class of type 2 diabetes drugs significantly cut the risk of death and hospitalization for heart failure compared with other medicines for the disease, according to data released on Sunday from a so-called real world study sponsored by AstraZeneca. China considers ways to speed up time to market for imported drugs BEIJING (Reuters) - China is considering taking measures that will shorten the time to market for approved imported drugs in an effort to ease a shortage of such medicines, according to the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). J&J and Bayer's Xarel to cuts recurrence of dangerous blood clots in study WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Longer-term use of the oral blood thinner Xarelto significantly cut the risk of recurrence of potentially life-threatening blood clots with no additional major bleeding compared with low-dose aspirin in patients at elevated risk, according to data presented on Saturday. Higher heart risk seen with Abbott dissolving stent after two years: study WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Patients who received Abbott Laboratories' novel dissolving vascular stent had a significantly higher rate of serious adverse heart events than those treated with the company's widely used Xience drug-coated metal stent two years after implantation, according to data presented on Saturday. Republican healthcare bill would harm state finances: Moody's SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The Republican-proposed bill to replace Obamacare would be a credit negative for U.S. states, according to Moody's Investors Service, because it would shift a greater share of the cost of Medicaid to the states. Amgen cholesterol drug cuts heart attack, stroke risk but shares fall WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Amgen Inc's $14,000 cholesterol drug Repatha cut the risk of heart attack and stroke by over 20 percent in patients with heart disease, but results from a highly anticipated study fell short of investor expectations and shares dropped 6 percent. U.S. investigates four insurers over Medicare payments (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has disclosed an investigation into four health insurers after a lawsuit accused them of defrauding Medicare by claiming patients were treated for conditions they did not have or received no treatment for. Ex-CDC chief opposes public health block grants in Trump budget CHICAGO (Reuters) - Burried in the cuts to science and public health in President Trump's newly released budget blueprint is a longtime conservative proposal to award lump sums of money to states - block grants - to let them decide how to respond to public health issues such as the Zika virus. Scant consumer information in local TV coverage of Obamacare (Reuters Health) - Local TV news coverage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), often called Obamacare, generally focused more on politics than on information consumers can use to help choose insurance, a recent study suggests. Related Video John Goodman given star in Hollywood Save the Data: Hackers work to save research in Trump era A quick-fix on the day's news delivered when you want it. Register Today A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today » » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2017 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add newsletters@email.reuters.com to your address book. Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook