Business Briefs – April 26, 2017

Insurer Anthem Hands Feds Deadline On Crucial ACA Subsidies

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Health insurers are pressing President Donald Trump and Congress to guarantee a crucial customer subsidy for the Affordable Care Act’s shaky insurance exchanges, and one of the biggest carriers has thrown in its participation as bargaining chip. Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer Anthem said Wednesday that it’s planning to return next year, but that could change if it doesn’t know for certain by early June that the government will fund cost-sharing subsidies next year.

Blood Test Offers Hope for Better Lung Cancer Treatment

BOSTON (AP) – Researchers have taken an important step toward better lung cancer treatment, they reported Wednesday. Using experimental tests that detect bits of DNA that tumors shed into the blood, they were able to track genetic changes in early-stage cases over time, and to find some recurrences up to a year before imaging scans could, giving a chance to try new therapy sooner.

Higher Prices Help Sales as PepsiCo Works to Adapt Brands

PURCHASE, N.Y.& (AP) – Higher prices helped lift PepsiCo’s sales in the first quarter, as the maker of Doritos, Gatorade and Quaker worked on transforming its lineup of products to keep up with changing tastes.

Sales for the North America Beverages and Frito-Lay North America segment both climbed 2 percent in the quarter, as pricing offset a decline in volume. Like other major food and beverage companies including Coca-Cola and Oreo cookie maker Mondelez, PepsiCo has said it is working on adapting its stable of brands to better reflect the trend toward options that people feel are healthier.

The recent passage of soda taxes in a handful of U.S. cities underscores the pressure Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in particular may be feeling to change their offerings. Earlier this year, Pepsi said sales were down 40 percent in Philadelphia after the city passed a tax on sweetened drinks, including diet sodas made with artificial sweeteners.

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