Oklahoma Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Classify Abortion As A Felony
Meanwhile, Michigan moves to safeguard women's health data; Ohio takes steps to protect sedated patients; Florida rejects children's health insurance program; and more.
The Oklahoman:
Anti-Abortion Oklahoma Bill Would Make Procedure A Felony
The fight to tighten Oklahoma's already strict abortion laws has resumed as one Republican lawmaker introduced the first anti-abortion bill of the 2025 legislative session. Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, filed House Bill 1008 which would classify abortion as a felony for providers and grant protections for fetuses. If passed, the bill would revive Senate Bill 612, which was signed into law in 2022 before being struck down by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. (Aston, 12/5)
AP:
Michigan Democrats Move To Protect Reproductive Health Data Before GOP Takes Control Of House
Michigan Democrats are pushing this month to pass legislation they say will improve reproductive health care, in particular the safety of digital health data, ahead of Republicans taking over the state House in 2025. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is backing a bill designed to protect reproductive health data including data logged on menstrual cycle tracking apps. Similar legislation that has passed in other states is aimed at keeping the data from being used to target people seeking abortions. (Volmert, 12/6)
Side Effects Public Media:
They Rely On Birth Control To Manage Health Conditions. Now, They Worry About Access
Using birth control is life or death for Kendall Hantelman. She was diagnosed with a bleeding disorder due to her excessive menstrual bleeding and a near-death hemorrhage after a sinus surgery. When she was 23, her doctor said she had a 25% chance of dying if she got pregnant. “So, I started taking birth control to stay alive because the doctor told me that I would have better odds playing Russian roulette than getting pregnant,” Hantelman said. (Gabriel, 12/5)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Columbus Dispatch:
Ohio Legislators Pass Bill To Protect Unconscious Patients From Abuse
Legislation to better protect patients that was introduced as a result of sexually abusive doctors is a step closer to becoming law. The Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday passed House Bill 89, sending it to the state Senate for consideration. ... If passed by the legislature's upper chamber and signed into law by the governor, the bill would prohibit medical providers from conducting intimate exams unless medically necessary or for certain other exceptions. (Filby, 12/5)
WFSU:
KidCare Expansion Gets Federal OK After Yearlong Delay. Then Florida Rejects It
The DeSantis administration plans to reject this week’s federal approval of Florida’s plan to expand KidCare, the state’s health insurance program for children. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services accepted Florida’s application for a waiver after a yearlong delay, but with the stipulation that the state provides 12 months of continuous coverage. (Menzel and Mayer, 12/6)
The Oklahoman:
OKCPD Sees Decrease In Mental Health Calls With Help Of 988 Hotline
Oklahoma City has seen a 57% decrease in mental health-related calls dispatched to Oklahoma City police officers in the last 13 months, the department announced Tuesday, which is partially attributed to the success of the state's 988 Mental Health Lifeline. The reduction, the department says, shows that more Oklahoma City residents are receiving mental health assistance from specialized support, rather than emergency law enforcement intervention. (Kelly, 12/5)
Chicago Tribune:
Chicago Biohub Backed By Mark Zuckerberg Publishes Inflammation Research
A Chicago biomedical research hub backed by Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, has produced its first published research — on discovering a way to monitor inflammation in real time using sensors implanted under the skin. (Schencker, 12/5)
KFF Health News:
Six Years Into An Appalachia Hospital Monopoly, Patients Are Fearful And Furious
Jerry Qualls had a heart attack in 2022 and was rushed by ambulance to Holston Valley Medical Center, where he was hospitalized for a week and kept alive by a ventilator and blood pump, according to his medical records. His wife, Katherine Qualls, said his doctors offered little hope. In an interview and a written complaint to the Tennessee government, she said doctors at Holston Valley told her that her husband would not qualify for a heart transplant and shouldn’t be expected to recover. (Kelman, 12/6)
