What We're Reading: California Withdraws Request to Provide Insurance to Illegal Immigrants

With Donald J. Trump’s administration poised to enter the White House, California has backed off a request to sell unsubsidized health insurance to illegal immigrants. According to AP, Covered California was notified that the request in to CMS would face a 1-month comment period and a 180-day window for the final decision, which would let the decision fall to Trump’s administration. Currently, immigrants who do not have legal status can buy health coverage through an insurance agent.

One pharmaceutical executive is pushing back against Trump’s depiction of the industry. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Pfizer’s CEO said pharmaceutical companies are not, as Trump said, “getting away with murder,” according to FiercePharma. Ian Read said the reputation that the pharmaceutical industry has gotten does not represent the ethical part of the industry. He distanced himself from Martin Shkreli, the former CEO of Turing Pharma, as well as Valeant Pharmaceuticals.

Some Republican governors are urging that Republican lawmakers show caution as they work to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Governors who have expanded Medicaid are concerned about the effect of repealing the healthcare law, reported The Wall Street Journal. Ohio Governor John Kasich will join at least 8 other governors and 2 lieutenant governors for a roundtable, Senate Finance Committee Republicans, on the future of Medicaid expansion.