Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Gains On The Right In Abortion Wars Often Attributed To Well-Executed Game Plan. But What Was Left's Role In Losing Ground?
The New York Times: How A Divided Left Is Losing The Battle On Abortion
In late September, a woman in her 70s arrived at a skilled nursing facility in suburban Houston after several weeks in the hospital. Her leg had been amputated after a long-ago knee replacement became infected; she also suffered from diabetes, depression, anxiety and general muscular weakness. An occupational therapist named Susan Nielson began working with her an hour a day, five days a week. Gradually, the patient became more mobile. With assistance and encouragement, she could transfer from her bed to a wheelchair, get herself to the bathroom for personal grooming and lift light weights to build her endurance. (Dias and Lerer, 12/1)
The Hill: Pennsylvania Bill Would Require Burials, Cremation For Fetal Remains After Abortion, Miscarriage
A bill being considered by state legislators in Pennsylvania would require health care facilities to bury or cremate fetal remains after an abortion or miscarriage. House Bill 1890, which was introduced by predominantly Republican group of lawmakers in September and passed by the GOP-led state House last week, is now being considered in the state Senate. (Folley, 12/1)
Time: Ohio Anti-Abortion Bill Makes Inaccurate Pregnancy Claim
A bill introduced in Ohio’s legislature would make physicians who end pregnancies guilty of “abortion murder” suggests that doctors should try to save ectopic pregnancies, in which a pregnancy grows outside of the uterus, by reimplanting the fetus in the uterus. It’s a procedure that does not exist. (Law, 12/1)
Rolling Stone: Ohio And Pennsylvania Bills Propose Restrictions On Women's Bodies
The Ohio bill would also outlaw abortion and add new crimes, “abortion murder” and “aggravated abortion murder” to its laws to punish doctors who perform abortions. According to the proposed bill, aggravated abortion murder would be punishable by death. Ohio already has a six week abortion ban on the books. (Wade, 11/30)
The Hill: US Sees Further Drop In Number Of Abortions: CDC
The U.S. has continued to see a drop in the number of reported abortions, according to data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There were 623,471 abortions performed in areas across the country that reported data to federal officials in 2016, the latest available year for data, down from 636,902 the previous year, the CDC found. (Frazin, 11/27)
Meanwhile, in other news —
WBUR: Boston And San Francisco, Often Simpatico, Split On Abortion
Massachusetts officials are struggling to understand why the state has been blacklisted by San Francisco over the state's abortion laws. Last month, San Francisco officials announced a ban on travel by city employees to Massachusetts and 21 other states whose abortion laws were deemed too restrictive by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The ban starts Jan. 1, 2020. San Francisco will not allow city contracts with Massachusetts-based companies after that date either. (Bebinger, 11/29)
