Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Federal Appeals Court Upholds La. Law Requiring Abortion Doctors To Have Admitting Privileges
The New York Times: Appeals Court Upholds Law Restricting Louisiana Abortion Doctors
On Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit unanimously voted to allow a 2014 state law requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals to go immediately into effect. After the law passed, five of the six abortion doctors in the state — including the doctor who performs abortions at Delta Clinic — applied and were turned down at the hospitals near to at least one of the clinics where they work (several of the doctors work at multiple clinics). (Robertson, 2/25)
The Associated Press: Group: Ruling May Leave Louisiana With 1 Abortion Clinic
Abortion services in Louisiana will be restricted to one clinic in New Orleans unless the U.S. Supreme Court reverses an appellate court ruling, an abortion rights group said. On Wednesday, a ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed a Louisiana law to take effect that requires doctors providing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. (Burdeau, 2/25)
The Washington Post's Wonkblog: Why Abortion Clinics In The U.S. Are Rapidly Closing
The United States' wave of abortion clinic closures continued Wednesday in Louisiana, where an appeals court issued an emergency order that abortion-rights groups say will shutter three of the state’s four providers. Louisiana's measure is just the latest abortion clinic restriction in a recent surge that has exacerbated the closures of clinics nationwide over the last five years. Between 2011 and 2014, state lawmakers have enacted 231 abortion restrictions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research organization. The new laws include required waiting periods, state-mandated counseling, parental consent — and, under review now in Texas, an order that, among other physical updates, clinics must maintain certain hallway lengths. (Paquette, 2/25)
Modern Healthcare: What To Expect When The Supreme Court Takes Up The Texas Abortion Case Next Week
Abortion rights and anti-abortion advocates agree on at least one thing about a major Texas abortion case scheduled for hearing at the U.S. Supreme Court next week: It could have implications for state abortion laws across the country. The Supreme Court is slated to hear oral arguments in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt on Wednesday. Plaintiffs argue a Texas law unconstitutionally limits access to abortion by requiring doctors at abortion clinics to have admitting privileges at local hospitals and that the clinics meet the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers. (Schencker, 2/25)
In other news, less than half of young men know about emergency contraception, one study finds —
Kaiser Health News: Majority Of Young Men Don’t Know About Emergency Contraception, Study Finds
Less than half of young men have heard of emergency contraception, a recent study found, even though it’s available over the counter at drug stores and is effective at preventing pregnancy after sex. The study, published in the March Journal of Adolescent Health, analyzed survey responses by 93 men between the ages of 13 and 24 who visited the adolescent medicine clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora for a physical exam, illness or injury between August and October 2014. Most had been sexually active. The computerized survey asked patients about their knowledge of contraceptives, and whether they had talked about birth control with their partners or health care providers. (Andrews, 2/26)
