Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Aggressive Battle To Defund Planned Parenthood Being Fought On State Level
The Associated Press: State-By-State Strategy Wielded To Defund Planned Parenthood
Though congressional Republicans' bid to defund Planned Parenthood was vetoed by President Barack Obama, anti-abortion activists and politicians are achieving a growing portion of their goal with an aggressive state-by-state strategy. Over the past year, more than a dozen states have sought to halt or reduce public funding for Planned Parenthood. The latest to join the offensive is Florida; GOP Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill Friday that bars Planned Parenthood from accessing state funds. (Crary, 3/28)
STAT: Activists Revive Push For Abortion Bans In The Name Of Protecting Disabled
Abortion opponents are pushing to enact more state bans modeled after a new law in Indiana that makes it illegal to abort a fetus because it would be born with a disability. The Indiana law, signed by Republican Governor Mike Pence last week, bars abortions when the woman is seeking to terminate solely because her fetus is expected to have a physical or mental disability, including Down syndrome. Women in that situation could still obtain abortions, as long as they had other reasons for doing so. (Nather and Samuel, 3/28)
The Associated Press: Florida Drops Complaints Against Abortion Clinics
Florida health regulators are dropping their push to fine three Planned Parenthood centers, saying such action would be redundant now that the governor has signed a law that puts new restrictions on abortions and prohibits any state money from going to the clinics. Court documents show the Agency for Health Care Administration last Friday asked an administrative judge to dismiss complaints first filed last year against clinics located in St. Petersburg, Naples and Fort Myers. (Fineout, 3/28)
The Associated Press: Utah Governor Signs Bill Requiring Abortion Anesthesia
The governor has signed a bill that makes Utah the first state to require doctors to give anesthesia to women having an abortion at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later. The bill signed by Republican Gov. Gary Herbert Monday is based on the disputed premise that a fetus can feel pain at that point. "The governor is adamantly pro-life. He believes in not only erring on the side of life, but also minimizing any pain that may be caused to an unborn child," Herbert spokesman Jon Cox said. (Golden, 3/29)
Reuters: Telemedicine Could Expand Access To Medical Abortions
Women in the U.S. without reproductive health services close to home might have an easier time getting medical abortions if they could consult with doctors online instead of scheduling in-person visits, some providers argue. Although surgical abortions require clinic visits, roughly one quarter of abortions are done with medication and might be provided with telemedicine – using webcams and video chats to diagnose and treat these patients, Dr. Elizabeth Raymond of Gynuity Health Projects in New York and colleagues argue in JAMA Internal Medicine. (Rapaport, 3/28)
