Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Colo. Judge: Catholic Facility Allowed To Offer So-Called Abortion 'Reversals'
Reuters: Colorado Cannot Ban Unproven Abortion Pill Reversal Treatment, Judge Says
Colorado cannot stop a Catholic medical center from offering an unproven treatment meant to reverse the effects of pill used in medication abortion, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico said in an opinion on Saturday that a Colorado law banning so-called medication abortion reversal treatment likely violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of religious freedom. His order stops the state from enforcing the law against Bella Health and Wellness, which sued to block it, or against anyone else working with Bella Health, while he considers the medical center's challenge to the law. (Pierson, 10/23)
In updates from Texas —
The Texas Tribune: Lubbock County Approves “Abortion Travel Ban”
Three county commissioners approved an ordinance Monday that would bar pregnant Texas women from traveling through the unincorporated area of Lubbock County for an abortion in another state. (Carver, 10/23)
Reuters: Planned Parenthood Must Face Trial Over Texas Medicaid Fraud Claims
Planned Parenthood must face a trial in a $1.8 billion lawsuit by Texas accusing the organization of defrauding the Republican-led state's Medicaid health insurance program, a federal judge ruled on Monday. At issue is billing by Planned Parenthood after Texas announced its decision to terminate the organization as a provider under its Medicaid insurance programs for low-income people. (Pierson and Raymond, 10/23)
Houston Chronicle: Texas Expands Maternal Health Committee, But Some Question Inclusivity
Texas will add more people to investigate pregnancy-related deaths and illnesses after a new law expanded the number of positions on the state’s maternal mortality review committee, a volunteer group whose research helps guide maternal health policy. But while the law brings much-needed resources to address a major health issue, some of the changes have confused maternal health advocates who worry that new qualifications will make it harder for people without professional experience to serve on the committee. (Gill, 10/23)
From Illinois, Ohio, Connecticut, and elsewhere —
Capitol News Illinois: Pritzker Launches Self-Funded Nationwide Abortion Rights Group
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is self-funding the launch of a new political advocacy group aimed at fighting for abortion rights across the U.S. — an extension of sizable donations he’s been making in Democratic politics for several years. (Meisel, 10/24)
AP: This Procedure Is Banned In The US. Why Is It A Hot Topic In Fight Over Ohio's Abortion Amendment?
With Election Day closing in, anti-abortion groups seeking to build opposition to a reproductive rights measure in Ohio are messaging heavily around a term for an abortion procedure that was once used later in pregnancy but that hasn’t been legal in the U.S. for over 15 years. In ads, debates and public statements, the opposition campaign and top Republicans have increasingly been referencing “partial-birth abortions” as an imminent threat if voters approve the constitutional amendment on Nov. 7. “Partial-birth abortion” is a non-medical term for a procedure known as dilation and extraction, or D&X, which is already federally prohibited. (Smyth, 10/23)
The CT Mirror: CT Expanded Abortion Access. But What Does That Mean?
Planned Parenthood clinics in Connecticut have seen a 59% increase in out-of-state patients seeking abortions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, according to Planned Parenthood Southern New England Vice President Gretchen Raffa. (Roy, 10/23)
Stateline: Medical Exceptions To Abortion Bans Often Exclude Mental Health Conditions
More than a dozen states now have near-total abortion bans following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, with limited medical exceptions meant to protect the patient’s health or life. But among those states, only Alabama explicitly includes “serious mental illness” as an allowable exception. Meanwhile, 10 states with near-total abortion bans (Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming) explicitly exclude mental health conditions as legal exceptions, according to an analysis from KFF, a health policy research organization. (Hassanein, 10/23)
In other reproductive health care news —
Becker's Hospital Review: New York System Delays Birth Center Closure Amid Equity Concerns
St. Peter's Health Partners has delayed plans to shut down the maternity unit at Troy, N.Y.-based Samaritan Hospital to address community members' concerns about care access and transportation barriers, the the Times Union reported Oct. 23. Albany, N.Y.-based St. Peters was originally slated to close the hospital's birthing unit in December but has extended this deadline by six months. The system now aims to shutter the unit no later than June 30, 2024. (Bean, 10/23)
Axios: Supporting Families During Pregnancy And Infant Loss Awareness Month
1 in 4 women will experience pregnancy loss, and 2.6 million stillbirths happen each year, according to the World Health Organization. Even given these staggering statistics, open discussion about the topic remains stigmatized, leaving mothers and families to grieve in silence or behind closed doors. (Hawkins, 10/23)
