Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ariz. Senate Approves Bill Blocking Abortion Coverage In Marketplace Plans
Arizona Republic: Bill Blocking Coverage Of Abortions Passes Senate
Arizona's Senate moved to further restrict abortion rights, passing a bill Thursday that would bar women on the federal health care exchange from receiving coverage and add new reporting requirements for clinics that perform abortions. (Hansen, 2/19)
The Associated Press: Senate OKs Ban On Insurance Policies That Cover Abortion
Women in Arizona won't be able to buy health insurance policies on the federal marketplace exchange that include abortion coverage under a bill approved by the Senate on Thursday. Senate Bill 1318 passed on a 17-12 vote, with all Senate Republicans who voted supporting the bill. Democratic Sen. Catherine Miranda of Phoenix was the sole Democrat who voted for the bill. ... The bill now heads to the House for action.(Christie, 2/20)
Reuters: Washington ACLU Sues State Hospital District Over Abortion Services
The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington state filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the state's third-largest public hospital district, accusing it of failing to comply with an abortion rights law. The lawsuit alleges that Skagit Regional Health, which operates a large hospital and several clinics in Skagit County about 100 miles north of Seattle, is not following the state's 1991 Reproductive Privacy Act. That law requires that any state medical facility that provides maternity care must also provide abortion care, and it prohibits the state from interfering with or denying a woman's right to an abortion. (Cavaliere, 2/19)
Scranton, Pa., Times-Tribune: U Of S Plans To End Abortion Coverage For Cases Of Rape, Incest
To remain faithful to its Catholic identity, the University of Scranton plans to end employee health care coverage for abortions in cases of rape, incest and to preserve the life of the mother. “I recognize that abortion is a painfully divisive issue nationally and that Catholic and Jesuit colleges and universities have not been immune to this divisiveness,” university President the Rev. Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., wrote in a letter to faculty and staff last week. “Nevertheless, the moral teaching of the church on abortion is unequivocal.” (Hall, 2/20)
