Dr. Mahendra Patel, a pediatric cancer doctor, has begun giving away medications to some of his patients, determined not to disrupt their treatments for serious illnesses like leukemia, should Congress fail to come up with renewed funding for an embattled children’s health program.

Two years ago, Aaron LeBato of Katy, Texas, bought an 11-month, short-term health plan for himself, his wife and three children after getting dropped from an Affordable Care Act plan due to a payment system error.

There was a 31% increase in merger and acquisition activity among insurance brokers in 2017, to a record 604 from 2016’s 461, Optis Partners L.L.C. said in a report Tuesday.

Healthcare has a cost problem. No one disputes that. But what many would dispute is the assertion that rapidly rising drug prices are the root cause of the problem. They are, as the latest data from the CMS and major hospital systems clearly show.

Alex Azar, Trump’s pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department, doubled down on his commitment to bringing down prescription drug prices Tuesday — and even added a new target for future policymaking: drug makers’ list prices.

The Trump administration proposed new rules on Thursday to make it easier for small businesses and individuals to buy a type of health plan long favored by conservatives that could bypass some of the insurance protections built into the Affordable Care Act.