A recent analysis painted an optimistic view on Medicare, a program that is divisive among politicians, healthcare professionals and the general public.

Pfizer will not be manufacturing an over-the-counter version of atorvastatin (Lipitor) after the company terminated its clinical trial program, Bloomberg reports. Since losing patent protection in 2011, sales of atorvastatin have decreased from more than $10 billion per year to $2.06 billion in 2014.

With the pending approval of two cholesterol-lowering drugs, the Washington Post reports concerns are mounting about the costs of the medications, which are both injectable proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors. 

Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez told the Wall Street Journal that the company is considering offering add-on healthcare services to insurers concerned with the high costs of its newest drug. 

For 2016, health insurance companies are seeking rate increases of 20 percent to 40 percent, the New York Times reports. State insurance regulators are currently reviewing the requests.

In 2014, doctors and research hospitals collected $6.5 billion from pharmaceutical and medical device companies, Reuters reports. The figures were revealed in a report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that listed information on payments that 1,444 companies made to 607,000 physicians and more than 1,100 teaching hospitals.

The Supreme Court ruled on June 25 that people purchasing health insurance on the federal exchange can receive subsidies to help them afford the coverage. Still, Congressional and state opponents of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act plan on dismantling the law piece by piece, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The Supreme Court ruled on June 25 that subsidies to purchase health insurance on the exchanges would remain available nationwide. However, Politico notes that Republican leaders and many Americans still oppose the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and some states are having trouble running their exchanges.