Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Abortion Restrictions Tighten In Red Areas Across Country, Women Are Crossing State Lines To Seek Care
The Associated Press: Women Seek Abortions Out Of State Amid Restrictions
At a routine ultrasound when she was five months pregnant, Hevan Lunsford began to panic when the technician took longer than normal, then told her she would need to see a specialist. Lunsford, a nurse in Alabama, knew it was serious and begged for an appointment the next day. That's when the doctor gave her and her husband the heart-wrenching news: The baby boy they decided to name Sebastian was severely underdeveloped and had only half a heart. (9/8)
In other news on abortion —
Politico Pro: Illinois Leaves Family Planning Program Over Abortion Rules
Illinois is formally exiting the federal family planning program, becoming the latest state to refuse to implement the Trump administration’s new rules banning abortion referrals. The Illinois Department of Public Health will cover the federal funding the state is forgoing until the grant dollars would have expired on March 31, 2020. (Roubein, 9/6)
NPR: Title X Rules On Discussing Abortion Worry Doctors
Clinics that take federal Title X family planning funding are adjusting to a new set of rules that limit what health care providers can say to their patients about abortion. Though Planned Parenthood pulled out of the program in August rather than comply with the rules, thousands of other clinics continue to use grants from the federal program for family planning and sexual health services. These clinics are now under pressure to make sure their staff comply. (Gordon, 9/9)
