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For many generations, menopause was a taboo topic. Despite 6,000 women reaching menopause in the U.S. each day, this pivotal stage in a womans life has been sidelined and neglected in the broader healthcare landscape. While symptoms can be debilitating for many women, a lack of research and medical training on menopause often results in these issues being misdiagnosed or dismissed. Unfortunately, this can translate to reduced insurance coverage and higher out-of-pocket costs for millions of women trying to manage their symptoms through prescribed medications and treatments. Today, the tide is turning on menopause, due in part to celebrities including Oprah, Halle Berry, and Drew Barrymore speaking publicly about their experiences. They are advocating for greater resources for women, and there is increased acceptance among the current generation in discussing menopause openly. A growing number of startups, like Elektra Health and Midi Health, are offering women more education, access to care, and a virtual community to help them face their menopause journeys. Even legislators are taking note, proposing changes to improve affordability and increase education for medical professionals across several states. But theres much more to be done, especially when it comes to education and affordability. Last month, our GoodRx team released findings from a new survey exploring the financial difficulties women face when navigating menopause. The data illustrated a greater need to address access and affordability gaps in menopause care, and underscored the importance of evolving our healthcare system to support women at every stage of life. Affordability challenges in menopause care Even as the conversation around menopause grows, women are routinely priced out of the treatments they need to manage their symptoms. Our survey, conducted in February 2025, found that 21% of women have put off or avoided menopause treatment due to financial concerns. And 12% reported having to make financial trade-offs, such as cutting back on other essential expenses, just to afford their care. Its not surprising that women are struggling to afford menopause care, as list prices for menopause medications have risen almost 60% over the last decade, and these costs trickle down to the consumer. Unfortunately, insurance coverage isnt always a reliable solution. Only 26% of women have their menopause-related prescriptions fully covered by insurance, and 8% dont have their prescriptions covered at all. The link is clear: Lower costs are crucial in helping more women access the menopause care they need. Improve the care gap in menopause Beyond cost itself, there is an unmet need to improve access to menopause care. The issue starts in medical schools, where most programs offer limited education on perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. As a result, the majority of primary care physicians dont have the skillset needed to help their patients manage symptoms. Even within OB-GYN training programs, research shows that less than a third of residency programs have any type of menopause curriculum. When unable to get answers from their usual physicians, many women turn to certified menopause specialists to seek help with their symptoms. But, as of now, there is only one menopause-certified specialist available for every 30,000 menopausal women in the U.S. By improving the full spectrum of menopause care and making sure every primary care physician and OB-GYN has the training they need, we can help break down access barriers and help more women address their symptoms. Unlock new frontiers in menopause care With healthcare industry leaders understanding the need to better support women transitioning into menopause, promising new treatments are emerging. For example, elinzanetant is currently in late-stage clinical development to address hot flashes associated with menopauseone of the most common symptoms. As new medications continue to undergo trials and enter the market, ensuring widespread availability is crucial. By better addressing hot flashes, women can improve their quality of life during menopause. This doesnt just benefit individuals, but improves the healthcare sector as a whole. A more supportive future for women Theres no silver bullet that can help lower costs and make menopause treatments more accessible. For healthcare leaders, menopauses growing economic burden is not just a health concern, but a call for systemic change. There are several levers we can pull to create a better, more supportive system for women. First, manufacturers of the most effective treatments for menopause, like menopausal hormone therapy, can look beyond insurance coverage and find ways to support women who are forced to pay out of pocket for these medications. While copay cards can be incredibly helpful for many high-cost prescriptions, these types of discount programs have low awareness. Pharmaceutical manufacturers can turn to trusted consumer resources, like GoodRx, to offer exclusive patient pay programs for those without adequate coverage on these medications. We launched this exact type of partnership with Pfizers portfolio of menopause hormone therapies last year and are seeing high uptake. We can further broaden access by working with other manufacturers in this space. Of course we still need to evolve our existing health insurance benefit structures to ensure they adequately support the diverse needs of women going through menopause. This includes providing comprehensive coverage for hormone replacement therapies and other menopausal treatments without prohibitive costs. Employers play a role here, too, and can advocate for health plans that respect womens specific medical needs, which can in turn improve overall job satisfaction, productivity, and tenure. As both a leader and a woman navigating these same healthcare challenges, I’m optimistic about the future. By making menopause management easier, we not only enhance the quality of life for individual women, but generate positive impacts on families and the larger healthcare system. Dorothy Gemmell is chief commercial officer and president, manufacturer solutions at GoodRx.
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E-Commerce
If youve ever fancied your chances in the Hunger Games, now you have the opportunity to volunteer as tribute. Lionsgate just announced an open audition call for a minor role in the upcoming prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. To audition, show us your best: act out a scene, perform a song, or surprise us with something completely new,” the movies X account shared last week. “All talents welcome. No previous experience necessary.” Many fans and budding actors are now eagerly taking their shot at being a part of the beloved movie franchise. After all, Rachel Zegler, who starred as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, landed her breakout role through an open casting call. However, if the producers were hoping the internet would take the auditions seriously, they clearly havent spent enough time on TikTok. A cursory scroll through the hashtag #SOTRCastingContest sees everything from creators pretending to be a tribute running from the cornucopia in the games, to getting into character as a cleaner in the Hunger Games arena. One TikTok creator performed a dramatic retelling of Hunger Games main character Katniss monologue from Mockingjay Part One, but in the voice of White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge. (Perfection.) Another TikToker proved she had the acting chops for the role of the potato that Beetee works on, while a third auditioned for the role of one of the goose eggs katniss bring haymitch in the end of SOTR. Yet another TikToker offered their interpretation of the supporting role of “President Snow’s milk”Can’t wait to see you in the movie, one person commented. Theyre gonna regret that open casting call, another added. Serious or not, there is still time to get your audition in before entries close on June 6, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. PT. The chosen actor will join Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Ralph Fiennes as Coriolanus Snow, Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, and Maya Hawke as Wiress in the Haymitch-focused prequel set to hit screens November 20, 2026. Entrants must be a U.S. resident and over the age of 18. May the odds be ever in your favor.
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E-Commerce
The “holy airball” trend thats all over your For You page is the latest way the internet is sharing humble brags. The videos, which have amassed millions of views on TikTok over the past few weeks, follow the same formula: A person shares a statement, the next slide is an assumption often leveled at them, and follow-up slides reveal the more impressive truth. The videos are soundtracked to Soul Survivor by Jeezy featuring Akon, and the final slide always references the now viral phrase “holy airball”a basketball term for when someone takes a shot and misses the basket. Many have used the trend to brag about their achievements or joke about their unexpected personality traits or life circumstances. An example would be if someone assumes that your family owns a local store, but your family actually owns a huge conglomerate. As the trend has gained momentum, the nepo babies have now entered the chat. “Told him my mom’s a lawyer,” Ava Phillipe wrote in a TikTok video posted on Monday. He said, ‘Oh, what firm does she work at?’ The following slides are of the Elle Woods from the 2001 film Legally Blonde. Reese Witherspoon, who played Woods, is Phillipes mother. Told him my dad was in the music industry, Alianna Thiam wrote in a TikTok posted last week. He said ‘Oh, like a manager?’ Next are pictures of Thiam with her father, the singer Akon. Bro literally made the trend, she added. Akon cowrote and is featured on the song that accompanies the trend. The fact this trend is to his song is iconic for you, one person commented. Trend over, you win, another added. A third example comes from the TikTok account of Francesca Scorsese. I told him, ‘My dad is a filmmaker,’ she wrote. No prizes for guessing who appears on the following slide. OK, we cant top this yall, one comment read. Other TikTok accounts are capitalizing off their famous last names and confusing the internet in the process. Theres Abigail McDonald, who wrote: Told him my family owns a food place. He said, ‘Oh, so like a small business?’ The next slide shows an image of the fast-food chain McDonalds. A TikTok account for Gracie Abercrombie posted: Told him ‘my family owns a clothing store.’ The next slide is a photo of the popular clothing store Abercrombie & Fitch. Fast Company could not find verify nepo baby connections for either of these creators. However, both videos have pulled in millions of views. Holy freakin airball.
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E-Commerce
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