The Supreme Court last week upended one of the underpinnings of administrative law by weakening the authority of federal health agencies to rely on technical expertise as they regulate medical products, issue coverage decisions, and respond to public health crises.
The United States has the worst health outcomes of any high-income nation—lagging behind on health status indicators including mortality, fertility, and morbidity—and recent rulings by Texas district judges against preventive services and mifepristone would widen that gap, experts say.