Pharma and Tech: July 11, 2024

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.

Supreme Court Upends Purdue Pharma Opioid Settlement
By Aneri Pattani The court struck down a $6 billion bankruptcy plan from Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. What does this mean? We’ll explain.

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.

What the Health? From KFF Health News: SCOTUS Rejects Abortion Pill Challenge — For Now 
The Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to the FDA’s approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, ruling unanimously that the anti-abortion doctor group that filed the suit lacked standing. But abortion opponents are expected to pursue other strategies to ban or restrict the medication. Meanwhile, the Biden administration moves to stop the inclusion of medical debt on individual credit reports, and former President Donald Trump tries to claim credit for $35 insulin. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News, and Emmarie Huetteman of KFF Health News join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF president and CEO Drew Altman about KFF’s new “Health Policy 101” primer.

An Arm and a Leg: Meet the Middleman’s Middleman
By Dan Weissmann Why are patients facing bigger bills than they expect for out-of-network care? In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” the show explains the hidden mechanics of MultiPlan, a data firm that helps health insurers set these rates and make bigger returns.

If Lawsuit Ends Federal Mandates on Birth Control Coverage, States Will Have the Say
By Sam Whitehead An ongoing lawsuit aims to set aside the Affordable Care Act’s requirements that insurers cover preventive care, such as contraception. If that happens, state reproductive health laws — varying across the country — would carry more weight, resuming the “wild West” dynamic from before Obamacare.

From Dr. Oz to Heart Valves: A Tiny Device Charted a Contentious Path Through the FDA
By David Hilzenrath and Holly K. Hacker The story of MitraClip, a device Dr. Oz helped invent to treat faulty heart valves, is a cautionary tale about the science, business, and regulation of medical technology.

Chorus or Cacophony? Cicada Song Hits Some Ears Harder Than Others
By Zach Dyer Cicadas are the song of the summer, but this year’s large broods may be especially irritating for people on the autism spectrum who have hearing sensitivity.