On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court struck down long-standing abortion protections that had been guaranteed under its 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision. While the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization did not come as a surprise—a draft decision leaked weeks before its official release—the fallout was immediate, as the decision upended healthcare across the US.

Several states outlawed abortion, and abortion clinics closed their doors. Other states preserved access to the procedure, leading clinics there to brace for an influx of out-of-state patients.

Ob-gyn residency programs were forced to rethink abortion training in ban states, and this prompted some medical students to reconsider their career plans. Additionally, a legal fight put in jeopardy the fate of a key drug used in medication abortions—even in states that enshrined the procedure into their state constitutions.

“Where things are now really reflect a lot of what we had anticipated—and had feared—would come to pass,” Andrea Miller, the president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, told Healthcare Brew. “Everyone is being affected by this.”

Healthcare Brew broke down what’s happened in the year since the Dobbs decision.

States respond. States are largely split over whether to restrict or protect abortion access after the court overturned Roe.

Abortion remains legal in 23 states and DC—and 20 have strengthened abortion protections in response to Dobbs. Three states—California, Michigan, and Vermont—took that a step further, enshrining the right to abortion in their constitutions. Additional states, like New York, are expected to do the same.

By contrast, 14 states have outlawed abortions in most cases. These states are Arkansas, Alabama, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Georgia banned most abortions at around six weeks gestation—a period when most people are unaware they are pregnant. Meanwhile, Nebraska lawmakers also banned most abortions after 12 weeks gestation. North Carolina’s 12-week abortion ban will take effect on July 1.

Keep reading here.—SY

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Shannon at [email protected]. For completely confidential conversations, ask Shannon for her number on Signal.

Makes patients say “yay!” Remixed clichés aside, delivering a top-notch patient experience through social media interactions and DMs is crucial to any endeavor in the healthcare industry—especially if you’re an innovative provider.

So, how to simplify patient engagement? Say hello to Hootsuite, the social media management tool that’s revolutionizing healthcare communication. Their tools let you take control of ALL social media engagements in…drumroll, pls …ONE PLACE.

Even better? Not only does Hootsuite help you stay HIPAA compliant, but it also offers tons of other features so you can address issues before they blow up and protect your brand. We’re talkin’ collaboration tools, automation integrations, success metrics, you name it.

Get rid of social headaches: See Hootsuite in action.

Passport? Check. Exchanged currency? Check. International health insurance? Check?

Nearly a quarter of US residents traveling abroad have experienced a medical issue. So buying travel medical insurance—which helps cover unexpected medical bills incurred outside the country—is becoming more common on pre-vacation to-do lists, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A report released in April by GeoBlue, an international health insurer owned and backed by 15 BlueCross BlueShield companies, found that 21% of US residents surveyed in 2022 said they would buy travel insurance to cover medical expenses incurred abroad—that’s up from 15% in 2020.

A majority of respondents further said they consider health concerns when choosing international travel destinations (64%) and are “concerned about getting sick when traveling abroad” (59%).

Lynn Pina, GeoBlue’s chief marketing officer, told Healthcare Brew that the report’s findings suggest “a lot more people [are] thinking about their healthcare before they get on a plane and go abroad.” Online searches for keywords relating to GeoBlue’s products are up 30%–40%, she said. And the company has seen “record” sales—up 50% from 2019 to 2022.

Still, 52% of US residents surveyed said there’s little possibility that they will need or use international travel medical coverage. And 46% said they’d use their existing US health insurance plans to cover medical expenses incurred abroad—even though most plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, provide limited or no international coverage.

“A lot of people assume they can use whatever health insurance they have here in the US abroad,” Pina said. “Typically, what happens is you might have some level of coverage, but [medical care you receive abroad] would be considered out-of-network. Then there are some things that specifically are not covered.”

Keep reading here.—SY

Healthcare Brew wants to learn about what makes a hospital tick. The best way to do that? Talk to the people in charge. We compiled a list of the major executive and high-level roles at health systems across the country, and found interesting people who are excelling in those jobs. Read through to learn more—not just about these executives, but also the important roles they play in running America’s hospitals.

Keep reading here.—AE

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Amanda at [email protected]. For completely confidential conversations, ask Amanda for her number on Signal.

Today’s top healthcare reads.

Stat: Internet of Things (IoT) devices are the No. 1 target for external hacks. (IT Brew)

Quote: “Because we are taught so little about our reproductive health as kids, we’re just at a deficit going into these appointments, and we’re at a deficit when we’re dealing with our bodies. It’s really important to me that medical professionals look at my writing and say, ‘Huh, even I learned something from this.’”—Leslie Schrock, an author and healthcare investor, on her latest book, Fertility Rules (Healthcare Brew)

Read: Michael Dowling made Northwell Health into a behemoth. (Healthcare Brew)

See it all: Take control of all your social media messages and comments. Hootsuite helps you stay HIPAA compliant while resolving patient messages and tracking engagement. See how it’s done.*

Time for a checkup: It’s time to reimagine healthcare. Join Healthcare Brew and GE HealthCare on June 27 for a chat with the experts on how to create a people-focused system. Save your spot.*

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