Morning Read: Did Rick Perry influence investigation of Oklahoma surgeon?

Plus, Health Affairs examines the potential of Medicare ACOs, BCBS of New Mexico faces questions of "deceptive business practices" and PhRMA fights back against suspicion of price gouging.

TOP STORIES

Politics takes center stage today, and it looks ugly.

The Dallas Morning News is questioning whether former Texas Gov. — and ex-presidential candidate — Rick Perry had a hand in a decision by Oklahoma to shut down an investigation of a surgeon with dozens of safety complaints and malpractice suits to his name. The story traces a web of political connections that also reaches Tennessee. — The Dallas Morning News

In Washington, the Senate Special Committee on Aging will investigate the pricing practices of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Martin Shkreli’s Turing Pharmaceuticals and two other drug companies. — Bloomberg

PhRMA is fighting back, trying to push the blame onto insurance companies and federal regulators. — The Hill

On the Obamacare front, don’t forget that Accountable Care Organizations and the Medicare Shared Savings Program are components of the Affordable Care Act. A new analysis by a team including former Bush administration CMS Administrator Dr. Mark McClellan finds modest success and huge potential in terms of care improvements and cost savings from Medicare ACOs. — Health Affairs Blog

LIFE SCIENCES

Sanofi has agreed to a licensing deal to develop long-acting diabetes drugs with Hanmi Pharmaceutical that could earn the South Korean drug maker as much as $4.2 billion. — Reuters

The University of Kansas Cancer Center says it is the first in the world to enroll patients in a trial of a new type of T-cell therapy. — PR Newswire, KCUR.org

Orphan drugs cost 13.8 times more per patient than mass-market drugs, an EvaluatePharma report says. — Business Wire

AstraZeneca will pay $46.5 million and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ Cephalon will pay $7.5 million to settle civil charges that they overcharged Medicaid in three states. — Reuters

Johnson & Johnson is buying Novira Therapeutics, which is testing a new treatment for chronic hepatitis B. — Philadelphia Business Journal

Cell Signaling Technology has released six new monoclonal antibodies for tumor immunology research. — Business Wire

LifeMap Sciences and Lab7 Systems are teaming up on next-generation genomic sequencing. — Business Wire

PAYERS-PROVIDERS

A local TV station has uncovered a “case study in deceptive business practices” at Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico. — KRQE-TV

A Geisinger Health System study has shown that the OpenNotes program improves medication adherence in patients being treated for high cholesterol or hypertension. — Healthcare IT News

Envision Healthcare Holdings is buying clinical staffing firm Questcare Medical Services and Questcare subsidiary QRx Medical Management for $135 million. — Dallas Business Journal

Kaiser Permanente Northwest says it is the first physician group in Oregon to publish online patient ratings of its doctors. — PR Newswire

TECHNOLOGY

Data-driven management saved a Florida health system money and reduced bed waiting times while increasing patient throughput, according to a Rand study. — PR Newswire

Wisconsin startup Quietyme has introduced an alternative to the call button in hospital rooms: a wireless cube that lets patients request specific services. — Xconomy

Analytics startup DocDelta is actually touting what it does as high-tech “physician poaching.” — Business Wire

HealthGrid has introduced what it calls the first mobile CRM platform for patient engagement. — PR Newswire

POLITICS

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says that the surging cost of specialty pharmaceuticals is straining the health budgets of developed countries. — Reuters

Death from drug overdoses is becoming an issue in the 2016 presidential race. — The Wall Street Journal

France is lifting a 32-year-old ban on blood donations by gay men. — Reuters

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA

It should surprise nobody that the “fattest” states in America also have high poverty rates and poor health status. — WalletHub

Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

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