In an effort to curb “unexpected and outrageous bills,” President Trump invited patients and others to the White House to discuss their experiences with such pricing, Kaiser Health News reported. The discussion is part of Trump’s overall goal to impact drug prices and transparency in healthcare.

Walgreens Boots Alliance has settled two fraud cases with the Department of Justice, shelling out $269.2 million. In both cases, which arose from whistleblowers, Walgreens admitted and accepted responsibility for conduct alleged by the government in its complaint under the False Claims Act.

The U.S. government shutdown, which is now the longest-running in history, could potentially harm consumers and undermine the stability of the Affordable Care Act healthcare insurance market, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The majority of technology vendors––75 percent––believe advanced analytics and AI will be among the top areas of focus for healthcare companies in 2019, according to a survey by Damo Consulting.

As progressive Democrats increasingly push for universal healthcare, known as Medicare for all, support for such a plan is mixed when it comes to paying for it, according to a recent poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The trade group for the U.S.'s top drugmakers spent a record amount—$27.5 million—on lobbying efforts in 2018, according to Bloomberg.

Three executives at Ascension, a nonprofit health system based in St. Louis, are departing from their roles, Ascension President and CEO Anthony Tersigni, EdD, FACHE, said in an announcement.

More industry groups are pushing back against an upcoming deadline for accountable care organizations (ACOs) to apply to the updated Medicare Shared Savings Program.