Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion Rights Advocates Want Nurses, Clinicians To Be Able To Provide Procedure To Alleviate Shortages In Rural Areas
The Wall Street Journal: Lawsuits Challenge Rules Limiting Who Can Perform Abortions
Abortion-rights activists concerned about the shrinking number of abortion providers are mounting court challenges to longstanding state laws that forbid anybody but doctors to perform the procedure. Lawsuits pending in at least nine states are seeking to strike down statutes that make it a crime for clinicians such as highly trained nurses and midwives to provide early-term abortions. Taken together, the cases represent the strongest push by abortion-rights groups to build upon a recent Supreme Court decision that put more of a burden on states to justify the medical benefit of abortion regulations limiting women’s access. (Gershman, 1/15)
The Hill: Democrats Vow To Lift Ban On Federal Funds For Abortions
House Democrats on Tuesday vowed to repeal a ban on the use of federal funds for abortions. While a repeal of the long-standing ban is unlikely with Republican control of the Senate, the move indicates the direction Democrats want to go should they gain control of the upper chamber in 2020. (Hellmann, 1/15)
And in other women's health news —
The Associated Press: No-Cost Birth Control, Now The Norm, Faces Court Challenges
Millions of American women are receiving birth control at no cost to them through workplace health plans, the result of the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, which expanded access to contraception. The Trump administration sought to allow more employers to opt out because of religious or moral objections. But its plans were put on hold by two federal judges, one in Pennsylvania and the other in California, in cases that could eventually reach the Supreme Court. (1/15)
Atlanta Journal Constitution: Birth Control Patch: Georgia Tech Study On New DIY Birth Control
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have designed a new long-acting contraception patch that women may be able to administer themselves. Originally intended for areas with limited health care access, the contraceptive has shown promise in animal testing and “could potentially provide a new family planning alternative to a broader population,” according to a university article. (Pirani, 1/15)
