Every week, we're on the lookout for thought-provoking and off-the-radar bits of health news. Here's a selection of stories from this week's health newsletter, Second Opinion.

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Public-private ping pong

Saskatchewan's health minister Jim Reiter made news this week when he said Ottawa has given the province one year to test a plan which allows patients to pay privately for MRI and CT scans. It appeared to be a significant concession by Ottawa, especially after the strongly worded letter from Health Minister Jane Philpott in November, warning Saskatchewan that it was violating the Canada Health Act by letting patients jump the queue.

Then on Wednesday, news reports from Philpott's office said the dispute is still on the table. So which is it? Neither the federal nor the provincial ministries responded to our requests for clarification. Ottawa could withhold federal transfer dollars as punishment for violating the Canada Health Act. But Reiter insists that Philpott has promised to talk about it for a year before imposing any penalties.

Following the money

Conflict of interest concerns are in the air this week with two prestigious journals raising questions about the influence of money in medicine. Studies in JAMA Internal Medicine looked at the influence of industry money on both patient advocacy organizations and doctors who write medical guidelines. Another paper called for doctors on Twitter to fess up about their conflicts of interest when tweeting advice or endorsing medications.

Health News Review has put together a great summary of all the papers. A separate study in the BMJ looked at nearly 200 drug trials and found that positive results were more likely to be reported when a principal investigator had financial ties to the drug industry.

Price check

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Nominee Tom Price faced questions about his healthcare stock purchases this week. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

South of the border, Donald Trump's nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services also faced conflict of interest accusations. Senators grilled Tom Price over his financial dealings with medical and pharmaceutical companies during his time in Congress. In December, the Wall Street Journal reported that since 2012, Price had traded more than $300,000 in shares in several dozen medical and pharmaceutical companies while he was involved with legislation that could have affected the stocks of those companies.

He was also questioned on reports of a discounted rate he received for stock with one medical device manufacturer. Price, who practiced as an orthopedic surgeon for nearly two decades before entering politics, maintained he had never taken advantage of his public position.

Drug maker on the defence

Is Canada paying too much for what's been called the "world's most expensive drug?"

Soliris treats two rare blood disorders, and it can cost more than $700,000 dollars per patient, per year for life in Canada.

That's the question being asked in an Ottawa hearing room this week as Alexion Pharmaceuticals faces off against the federal agency that regulates drug prices, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board. The PMPRB alleges that Soliris costs more in Canada than in other countries. Alexion says the price difference can be explained by currency exchange rates. And it's been a contentious hearing so far, with many objections from Alexion's lawyers.

The quasi-judicial hearing is expected to wrap up in March.

You've gotta be kitten me!

Poor kitties! Hundreds of cats have been quarantined in New York City after an outbreak of avian flu. (Audrey McAvoy/Associated Press)

You could call this Tweety Bird's revenge. Hundreds of cats have been rounded up and quarantined in New York City after contracting a strain of highly contagious avian flu. The outbreak was first detected last month in 45 cats housed at a Manhattan shelter. It's the first time the virus — which is commonly found in birds — has infected domestic cats, according to the New York City Health Department. But don't worry kitties, you won't be locked up fur-ever. Officials say the cats will be released when they are no longer contagious.

We recommend…

Here are a few other stories we found interesting this week:

Till death do us part: one couple's decision to share a medically-assisted death | The Globe and Mail

How Reliable Are Cancer Studies? | The Atlantic