Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Antiabortion Group Looking To Siphon Patients From Planned Parenthood Gets Significant Family Planning Program Funding
Politico: Millions In Family Planning Grants Given To Groups And States Fighting Trump's Policy Changes
The Trump administration announced Friday that it's awarding about $250 million in Title X federal family planning grants to states and providers across the country. The providers include an anti-abortion chain of clinics, as well as several states and provider groups that are threatening to drop out of the program if conservative-led changes go into effect in a few weeks. The new rules — designed largely to partially achieve conservatives' long-sought goal of cutting off public funding for Planned Parenthood — would block Title X grants from going to groups that make abortion referrals, potentially leaving gaps in care for low-income women. It's already illegal to use federal taxpayer dollars for abortion, with very limited exceptions. (Roubein and Ollstein, 3/29)
The New York Times: Trump Administration Gives Family Planning Grant To Anti-Abortion Group
The Trump administration took an important step on Friday in its push to restrict access to abortion and contraception, announcing that it would give as much as $5.1 million in family planning funds to a nonprofit organization funded by allies of the Catholic Church. The grant from the Department of Health and Human Services went to the Obria Group, a Southern California-based nonprofit that describes itself as being “led by God” and that aims to siphon patients — and money — away from Planned Parenthood. (Vogel and Pear, 3/29)
Politico: States Struggle To Replace Planned Parenthood As Trump Rules Loom
President Donald Trump’s sweeping changes to federal family planning policy may not hit anywhere harder than Utah, which has $2 million at stake and would be hard pressed to Planned Parenthood if the organization makes good on a threat to pull out of the state rather than operate under the new rules. “We’re the only game in town,” said Planned Parenthood Association of Utah President and CEO Karrie Galloway. “We’re a unique and challenging state, and people don’t have a lot of options for comprehensive, non-judgmental reproductive health care.” (Ollstein and Roubein, 3/29)
Bloomberg: Trump Urges End To Suit Against Contraception-Coverage Opt-Out
The U.S. government asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit by two Democrat-led states challenging a Trump administration policy allowing companies with religious or moral objections to opt out of an Obamacare rule mandating employee health-care plans include free birth-control services. Pennsylvania and New Jersey can’t sue because the states haven’t been harmed by the exemption policy finalized in November, and “allegations of possible future injury do not suffice,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a filing Thursday in federal court in Philadelphia. (Larson, 3/29)
And more news on abortion comes out of Georgia and Minnesota as well —
The New York Times: Georgia Is Latest State To Pass Fetal Heartbeat Bill As Part Of Growing Trend
Tensions over a growing movement to ban abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected intensified this week as lawmakers in Georgia passed a bill that stands to become one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. The bill, which narrowly passed in the Republican-controlled legislature on Friday, is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican. The measure generally prohibits the procedure after doctors can discern a fetal heartbeat, a milestone that happens around six weeks of pregnancy — before some women know they are pregnant. (Mervosh, 3/30)
WBUR: Georgia's 'Uneasy Truce' On Abortion Ends
Hales' clients were worried they might no longer be able to receive abortion services, after Georgia lawmakers approved a bill that would ban abortions once a heartbeat is detected in an embryo, which is typically about six weeks into a pregnancy. Currently, women in Georgia can seek an abortion during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. (Schuknecht, 3/30)
Pioneer Press: 20-Week Abortion Ban Bill Advances In MN Senate
A proposal to ban abortion 20 weeks after fertilization took another step forward in the Minnesota Legislature on Friday. The Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy advanced the bill on a voice vote after passing on a discussion about the proposal. The bill moves now to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The bill would ban abortions on women after 20 weeks post-fertilization except in cases of possible death or serious physical harm. Risk of substantial and irreversible psychological or emotional conditions would not be included. (Ferguson, 3/29)
