Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Arizona Bans Abortions Decided On Fetal Abnormalities; Florida May, Too
AP: Arizona Governor Signs Abortion Ban For Genetic Issues
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday signed a sweeping anti-abortion bill that bans the procedure if the woman is seeking it solely because a fetus has a genetic abnormality such as Down syndrome. Doctors who perform an abortion solely because the child has a survivable genetic issue can face felony charges. The proposal also contains a raft of other provisions sought by abortion opponents. (Christie, 4/28)
WFSU: Fate Of 'Disability Abortions' Proposal Unclear As Session Winds Down
Florida could ban abortions based on a diagnosis of a disability. The proposal recently cleared the House following emotional testimony. But its fate is unclear in the Senate. Suppose a physician knows or should know a patient is ending a pregnancy on the sole basis of a disability and the physician goes through with the abortion? In that case, the physician could face a third-degree felony under the bill. Rep. Nicholas Duran, D-Miami, says the measure will create a divide between patient and doctor. (Gaffney, 4/27)
In other news from West Virginia, Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Florida —
AP: West Virginia To Get $393K From Feds For Hepatitis Detection
West Virginia will receive $393,100 from the federal government to detect the spread of hepatitis. The funding comes as the state deals with one of the nation’s highest spikes in HIV cases related to intravenous drug use. Nearly $78,700 of the total funding is devoted to infectious diseases stemming from opioid use. The state has had the nation’s highest rate of opioid drug addictions and drug overdose deaths. (4/28)
Billings Gazette: Data Breach Exposed Information Of 1 In 4 Wyomingites, Health Department Reports
A data breach at the Wyoming Department of Health publicly exposed COVID-19, influenza and blood alcohol test data from more than a quarter of Wyomingites, the department announced Tuesday. The breach occurred when an employee erroneously uploaded files containing that data to the public code-hosting platform GitHub. Data for more than 164,000 Wyomingites was uploaded to the site, according to the health department. Wyoming has about 577,000 residents, according to census data released Monday. (Hughes Casper, 4/27)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Philly ‘Eds And Meds’ Boards Slowly Bringing On More Women
Philadelphia’s higher education and health institutions, known as “eds and meds,” have made some progress with increasing the number of women board members, a new study shows. Among those institutions that had less than 30% female board members in 2019, most have added women, according to 2021 figures compiled by the Women’s Nonprofit Leadership Initiative and La Salle University’s Nonprofit Center. (Arvedlund, 4/28)
WUSF 89.7: Florida Finalizes Budget, Including $1,000 Bonuses For First Responders
House and Senate leaders Monday night finished nailing down details of a roughly $100 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, after agreeing that first responders statewide should get $1,000 bonuses for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers also agreed to pump an additional $80 million in state and federal money into a program that provides services to help keep people with intellectual and developmental disabilities out of institutions. The infusion of money will lead to serving more people in the so-called iBudget program, though lawmakers did not immediately have an estimate of how many people would be removed from a waiting list. (Turner, 4/27)
WJCT 89.9 Jacksonville: Vaping Regulation Bill Backed In Florida Senate
The Florida Senate on Monday passed a plan that would regulate the sale of electronic cigarettes and raise the state’s legal age to use tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21. The 29-9 vote, which sends the bill to the House, came despite opposition from some major health groups. That opposition stems, at least in part, from the bill seeking to prevent local regulations on such things as the marketing and sale of tobacco and vaping products. (4/27)
