Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion Foes Pursue Public Records On Clinic Data, Comb Through Trash
ProPublica: Activists Pursue Private Abortion Details Using Public Records Laws
A few years back, Jonathan Bloedow filed a series of requests under Washington state’s Public Records Act asking for details on pregnancies terminated at abortion clinics around the state. For every abortion, he wanted information on the woman’s age and race, where she lived, how long she had been pregnant and how past pregnancies had ended. He also wanted to know about any complications, but he didn’t ask for names. This is all information that Washington’s health department, as those in other states, collects to track vital statistics. (Ornstein, 8/27)
ProPublica: Foes Dive For Discarded Records In Abortion Clinic Dumpsters
The scene in front of abortion clinics is often tense, with clinic workers escorting patients past activists waving signs and taking photographs. But increasingly, another drama is unfolding out back. There, abortion opponents dig through the trash in search of patient information. Using garbage as their ammunition, anti-abortion activists – who have sometimes been accused of violating abortion seekers’ privacy – are turning the tables. They claim it’s the clinics that are violating patients’ privacy by discarding medical records in unsecured ways. (Ornstein, 8/27)
