TGIF

The Wall Street Journal reports that both the Cigna and the Express Script shareholders approved by wide margins their merger deal in votes announced earlier today.

The deal received the backing of about 90% of Cigna shareholders, the health insurer said Friday, citing a preliminary vote tally. Of the Express Scripts ESRX 0.21% shareholders who voted Friday, 99% approved the deal. 

The Senate made significant progress on its FY 2019 appropriations work yesterday which allowed the body to leave town today.  Roughly one third of the Senators need to hit the campaign trail. Both the Senate and the House seem on track to wrap up their FY 2019 appropriations work before the September 30 end of the government's fiscal year, which would be quite miraculous.

The Hill reports that yesterday the Senate approved Health and Human Services funding as part of a minibus bill that must be reconciled with a House measure. That Senate bill includes a provision that would require prescription drug manufacturers to disclose their product pricing in direct to consumer advertising. Healthcare Finance tells us that AHIP supports this measure.

FedSmith reports on an OPM benefit administration letter ("BAL") issued this week that implements a recent OPM rule explaining how an enrollee may remove an otherwise eligible family member from a self and family enrollment. "A separate BAL will provide specific guidance to agencies on the situations that allow for removal of ineligible family members and the removal process."