Supreme Court rules US should pay more for Native American tribes’ health care costs
According to Reuters, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 yesterday that the federal government has underfunded health care programs for Native American tribes for the past 30 years and could be forced to pay hundreds of millions more in the future. The Supreme Court ruled that federal law requires the Department of Health and Human Services to pay overhead costs tribes incur when they use funds from Medicaid, Medicare and private insurers. This is a victory for the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming and the San Carlos Apache Tribe of Arizona, which had sued over funding. In response to the ruling, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra called on Congress to ensure that the Indian Health Service (IHS) division of the Department of Health and Human Services remains stable and adequately funded in the future, as funding costs could be between $800 million and $2 billion a year.
FDA reverses ban on Juul e-cigarettes
According to NBC News, the FDA announced yesterday that it was reviewing new court rulings and updates and would be reversing its ban on Juul e-cigarettes. The FDA initially asked the company to stop selling its products in 2022, but Juul e-cigarettes remained on store shelves pending appeal. During this time, Juul maintained its position as the second-largest e-cigarette manufacturer in the United States after Vuse. The company was one of the most successful companies when e-cigarettes first became popular more than a decade ago. Juul’s products are again under agency review, but the FDA stressed that this new situation does not mean the company will be fully approved. Nevertheless, Juul said in a statement that it appreciates the FDA’s latest decision and looks forward to negotiating with the agency again to gain marketing approval for its products.
A health care worker crisis is upon us
According to Axios, hospitals across the country are facing staffing shortages as doctors and nurses are increasingly leaving the field. While a shortage of medical workers was expected years down the line, the pandemic and its aftermath have led to employee dissatisfaction and understaffing at facilities. More specifically, complaints of understaffing have become more prevalent as more medical workers cut back on their hours or quit their jobs due to burnout and worsening mental health conditions caused by the pandemic. Overall, two major trends are emerging: a shortage of medical workers and dissatisfaction among those who remain. Remaining workers are increasingly forming unions and going on strike amid disputes with their employers. This puts both patients’ access to care and the quality of care at risk, experts say.
