The White House released a 30-page white paper Friday morning that promotes easing government regulations and spurring innovation to lower drug prices, while roundly rejecting the idea of government price setting.

Donald Trump’s health-care chief said he plans to take up the president’s promises to do something about pharmaceutical prices, targeting some of the U.S.’s costliest drugs with proposals to reduce patients’ out-of-pocket spending.

It's hard to overshadow an industry-defining $67 billion merger of a drug-store mega-chain and large health insurer.

Senate leaders announced on Wednesday that, as part of a broader budget agreement, they would lengthen the six-year funding extension for CHIP that Congress passed last month to a full 10 years of funding for the program. After a brief government shutdown on Friday morning, Congress passed that deal into law.

Murray, who is leading negotiations for Senate Democrats on the issue, wants to increase the ObamaCare tax credits that help people afford coverage, according to a Senate Democratic aide. That would be a significant expansion of ObamaCare that could help make premiums more affordable for many people.

Starting in 2019, Americans will no longer be required to carry health insurance. But Californians might — if a state insurance mandate becomes a reality.