KFF Health News Weekly Edition: July 3, 2024

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': SCOTUS Term Wraps With a Bang
The Supreme Court has issued its final opinions for the 2023-24 term, including decisions affecting abortion access, the opioid epidemic, and how the federal government functions. In this special episode, Sarah Somers , legal director of the National Health Law Program, joins KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss how the justices disposed of the term’s health-related cases and what those decisions could mean going forward.

The Supreme Court Just Limited Federal Power. Health Care Is Feeling the Shockwaves.
By Stephanie Armour A Supreme Court ruling restricting federal power will likely have seismic ramifications for health policy. A flood of litigation — with plaintiffs like small businesses, drugmakers, and hospitals challenging regulations they say are too expensive or burdensome and not authorized by law — could leave the country with a patchwork of disparate health regulations.

Beyond PMS: A Poorly Understood Disorder Means Periods of Despair for Some Women
By Lauren Peace, Tampa Bay Times Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is estimated to affect around 5% of people who menstruate, but a lack of research and limited awareness of menstrual disorders — even among health care providers — can make getting care difficult.

Lack of Affordability Tops Older Americans’ List of Health Care Worries
By Judith Graham Rising health care costs are fueling anxiety among older Americans covered by Medicare. They’re right to be concerned.

Fake Therapist Fooled Hundreds Online Until She Died, State Records Say
By Brett Kelman Illustration by Oona Zenda A Florida woman with no training in mental health services pretended to be a licensed social worker during online therapy sessions with Brightside Health patients.

Mississippi Lacks Black Doctors, Even as Lawmakers Increasingly Target Diversity Programs
By Lauren Sausser Administrators at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine are trying to recruit more Black students — and more Hispanic and Choctaw Nation students, for that matter. But they face several obstacles, including a recent swell of Republican opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Pain Doesn’t Belong on a Scale of Zero to 10
By Elisabeth Rosenthal A popular scale for measuring pain doesn’t work, but medicine still has no better alternative.

The Concierge Catch: Better Access for a Few Patients Disrupts Care for Many
By John Rossheim Increasingly, Americans pay for the privilege of seeing a doctor. Research shows concierge medicine can further hamper access to care for those who can’t afford the upgrade.

Idaho’s OB-GYN Exodus Throws Women in Rural Towns Into a Care Void
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez Idaho’s law criminalizing abortion drove a high-profile exodus of OB-GYNs from the state more than a year ago. Now, two years after the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back abortion protections enshrined by Roe v. Wade, patients in rural Idaho are forced to leave their community for gynecological care.

Journalists Break Down SCOTUS Decision on Purdue Pharma and California’s New Heat Rules
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff hit the airwaves in the last couple of weeks to discuss stories in the headlines. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

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“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week.