What We're Reading: High Court to Hear Nursing Home Case; COVID-19 and Productivity; Ultra-Processed Foods and Early Mortality

High Court to Hear Case About Accountability of Public Health Programs

The Supreme Court Tuesday will hear oral arguments in a case that could have consequences for families who rely on programs partially funded by the federal government, like Medicaid, when they believe that states violated their civil rights. The case stems from an Indiana woman who sued over the quality of care her father received at a publicly-funded nursing home. The man died in 2021. The county agency, Health and Hospital Corp. of Marion County, is asking the court to review whether citizens should have the right to sue. Advocates worry that a decision in favor of the agency will upend long-standing precedent, much like the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe v Wade.

COVID-19 Continues to Affect Millions, Depressing Productivity

Although COVID-19 infections are falling, the illness is still affecting productivity and keeping millions out of work, according to The Wall Street Journal Monday, which reported Labor Department findings showing that in the average month in 2022, nearly 630,000 more workers missed at least a week of work, compared with the years before the pandemic. In addition, long COVID-19 has caused about 500,000 workers to leave their jobs altogether.

Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Early Deaths, Study Says

A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that a diet consisting ultra-processed foods was linked with tens of thousands of premature deaths in Brazil in 2019. According to The Hill, which reported the results, Brazilians tend to eat far less of these foods than high-income countries like the United States, where highly processed foods make up more than 50% of total caloric intake.