HomeCare Editors’ Top 5: Week of November 30

Pfizer and Allergan Merge to Create World’s Largest Drug Maker
Pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Allergan announced a $160 billion merger on Monday that would create the world’s largest drug company. (Ed Silverman/Stat News)

Deficiencies In End-of-Life Care Extend Across Ethnicities
Stanford University researchers put that question to members of three major ethnic groups in the San Francisco Bay area and found little variation in their responses. (Barbara Ostrov/Kaiser Health News)

Four in 10 Say They Know Someone Who Has Been Addicted to Prescription Pain Killers
Two percent acknowledge their own addiction, according to a new poll. (Lenny Bernstein/Washington Post)

Supreme Court to Decide Future of Home Care Wage Case
The rule took effect in October and enforcement began earlier this month, but there has been one last legal recourse remaining: taking the case to the Supreme Court. (Tim Mullaney/Home Health Care News)

Fewer Medicare-Subsidized Drug Plans Mean Less Choice for Low-Income Seniors
Eight million people in traditional Medicare have drug plan subsidies, also called “Extra Help.” To qualify for the full subsidy, an individual must have an income below $17,655 in 2015 and less than $13,640 in assets. (Susan Jaffe/Kaiser Health News)