Procter & Gamble has announced it will acquire the consumer health business of Germany-based Merck in a $4.2 billion deal, adding more over-the-counter medications to P&G’s existing product offerings.

Millions more Americans could pick Medicare as their health insurer under a bill introduced by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, and Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, by making it a public insurance option on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges and for employers.

A survey conducted by Vennli found that physicians favor positive patient outcomes and ease-of-use more than price and design when purchasing medical devices.

WalletHub, a personal finance website, ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia in pediatric health. Vermont was No. 1 and Nevada was placed at the bottom in state-by-state rankings of children’s healthcare.

One of the largest health systems in Atlanta and one of Georgia’s biggest insurers have settled a months-long dispute over a new contract after Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal threatened to take executive action to push the sides to negotiate.

Former Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin, MD, said he was pushed out of his position because he opposed privatizing veterans’ healthcare. The nominee to replace him, White House physician Ronny Jackson, MD, has been promising Democratic senators that he’s also against privatization of the VA.

“Although medical devices provide great benefits to patients, they also present risks,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD. “And we are focusing equal attention on advancing new frameworks for identifying risks and protecting consumers.”

The wave of megamergers involving health insurers could place the greatest pressure on both not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals, according to a report from Moody’s Investors Service, if these new combinations steer patients away from hospital-owned facilities.