A pharmaceutical company is admitting that it marketed a drug for unapproved uses and tried to buy off doctors with golf outings and wine tastings.

On Friday, ISTA Pharmaceuticals pled guilty to conspiracy to introduce a misbranded drug and to pay illegal kickbacks for its eye drug Xibrom.

Republicans want insurers to provide information on Sebelius's requests for fundraising for group promoting ObamaCare. 

Novo Nordisk's new obesity drug could hit the American market in late 2014, adding competition as consumers and healthcare stakeholders seek to shrink U.S. waistlines.

The Danish drug company said Thursday that its injectable liraglutide treatment resulted in an average weight loss of 8 percent in a final-stage clinical trial.

The drug would cost about $25 per day, or about five times as much as rival treatments. 

A top House panel will meet with healthcare stakeholders next week to release its framework for overhauling Medicare's flawed physician payment formula.

The Energy and Commerce Committee will hold its meeting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to an email from majority staff. Lawmakers will be in their districts for Memorial Day recess.

The panel had previously released a draft plan for a permanent "doc fix" in conjunction with the Ways and Means Committee. 

Threats, vetoes fly as tensions rise in Arizona over Medicaid expansion

GOP Arizona representative who supports Medicaid expansion is threatened

Snuffing out higher insurance premiums for smokers

The Obama administration got some good news Thursday as California regulators released the estimated premiums for healthcare plans sold through the state's insurance exchange.

The premiums came in well below expectations, giving Democrats a strong data point to push back against fears of "rate shock" once the healthcare law takes full effect. California is the first big state to release insurers' rates for next year, and experts were paying particular attention to the filing because of the size of the state's market.

A middle-of-the-road policy will cost about $300 per month, and most people who buy these policies will get a subsidy from the federal government to help pay their premiums. That comes to about $3,600 per year — hardly pocket change, but also far short of the $5,200 annual cost projected by the Congressional Budget Office.

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Business groups are weighing in on an ObamaCare proposal governing incentives for employees to stay healthy.

The White House is currently reviewing a proposed rule for wellness programs that give workers incentives to take part in healthy habits such as joining a gym, signing up for a weight-loss plan or participating in a scheme to stop smoking. The proposal is part of the Affordable Care Act. 

Proponents say that the programs have a documented history of lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol and making workers healthy. Plus, they make good business sense.

Republican Rep. Scott DesJarlais (Tenn.), a physician, was disciplined by his state medical board for conducting affairs with patients in 2000.

The sophomore congressman received a reprimand and a $500 fine from the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners after an ethics watchdog complained last fall. He may also be tagged with investigation costs.

That watchdog, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), characterized DesJarlais's penalty Thursday as a slap on the wrist. 

New insurance policies under President Obama's healthcare law will cost significantly less than expected in California.

The state released rate filings Thursday for the policies that will be sold through the health law's insurance exchange. 

Experts had been especially eager to see California's rates, and it is the first large state to release price information for next year.

The average plan will carry a monthly premium of $300, regulators said. Most people will receive a subsidy to help cover part of that cost, and cheaper options are also available.