Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS To Create Conscience Division To Support Health Workers Who Morally Object To Certain Procedures
The Washington Post: New HHS Civil Rights Division To Shield Health Workers With Moral Or Religious Objections
The Trump administration will create a new conscience and religious freedom division within the Health and Human Services Department to ease the way for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to opt out of providing services that violate their moral or religious beliefs. Specific details are scheduled to be announced Thursday. But the new policy appears to be broad and aimed at protecting health-care workers who cite those reasons for refusing to take part in abortions, treat transgender patients or participate in other types of care. (Eilperin and Cha, 1/17)
The Wall Street Journal: Trump To Let Health Providers Skip Procedures On Religious Grounds
The Department of Health and Human Services sent the proposal on Friday to the White House for review, said a person on Capitol Hill familiar with the matter. The HHS will also establish a division of “conscience and religious freedom protections” within its Office for Civil Rights, people familiar with the matter said. Mr. Trump might take the opportunity to tout the changes when he addresses the March for Life on the National Mall by satellite on Friday, the White House said. Friday’s march is this year’s version of an annual event by antiabortion activists to mark the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that broadly established a right to an abortion. If not Mr. Trump, acting HHS Secretary Eric Hargan may announce the new initiative on Thursday, officials said. (Armour and Radnofsky, 1/17)
Meanwhile, the president is set to address this year's March for Life via satellite —
The Washington Post: Trump To Address Friday's March For Life Antiabortion Rally Via Satellite
A year ago, throngs of abortion opponents gathered in Washington for the March for Life on the Mall and to celebrate the promises of a newly sworn-in President Trump — wins they’d been seeking for decades: Defunding Planned Parenthood, permanently banning federal money for abortion, and overturning Roe v. Wade, something he said would happen “automatically” if he got to pick judges he wanted. On Friday, Trump will address the march from the White House Rose Garden via satellite, according to organizers. But as marchers return for the major annual antiabortion gathering, almost none of the core vows the president made have been fulfilled and there’s no clear sign they’ll be attained soon. (Boorstein and Zauzmer, 1/17)
The Hill: Trump To Address March For Life Via Satellite
Trump will become the first sitting president to address the rally via a live video. The stream is set to take place from the Rose Garden, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Wednesday. "The president is committed to protecting the life of the unborn and he is excited to be part of this historic event," she said. “Since his first day in office, President Trump has remained steadfast on his campaign promises to the pro-life cause and has actively worked to protect the unborn,” said March for Life President Jeanne Mancini said in a statement. (Greenwood, 1/17)
And in other news —
The Hill: WH Delays Spark Fear For Family Planning Groups
The Trump administration is running months behind in supplying basic information on how organizations that provide birth control and other reproductive health services to low-income women and families can apply for federal family planning grants, raising new uncertainties over the program. The delays at the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) are putting additional stress on organizations that depend on funding through Title X, a nearly 50-year-old program focused solely on family planning grants. (Hellmann, 1/18)
Iowa Public Radio: DHS Chief: 'We Were At Fault' On Family Planning Services
The head of the Iowa Department of Human Services Wednesday admitted problems with Iowa’s new family planning program that takes the place of Planned Parenthood clinics around the state. After lawmakers said no state money should go to clinics that perform abortions, the state is redirecting funds to other clinics for subsidized birth control. (Russell, 1/17)
