Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Ambitious Pilot Program, Planned Parenthood Will Open 50 Clinics At Los Angeles High Schools
The Washington Post: Planned Parenthood To Open Centers At 50 Los Angeles High Schools
Planned Parenthood is pioneering a new model of reproductive health services for Los Angeles County teens by opening 50 clinics at area high schools. The program — announced Wednesday and launched in partnership with the school district and county health department — is believed to be the most ambitious effort in the country to bring these types of services to at-risk students in public schools. The program, funded by an initial investment of $10 million from Los Angeles County and $6 million from Planned Parenthood over three years, will offer a full range of birth control options, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy counseling, but not abortion, for an estimated 75,000 teens. (Cha, 12/11)
KCUR: Funding For Missouri Planned Parenthood Clinics In Hands Of State Supreme Court
The Missouri Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday to decide whether the state’s 12 Planned Parenthood clinics should receive federal funding. John Sauer argued on behalf of the state, asking the court to back the Republican-led Legislature’s 2018 decision to deny funding to all Planned Parenthood facilities but not other providers that care for the state’s Medicaid population. (Driscoll, 12/11)
Iowa Public Radio: Questions Remain Over Decline In Use Of Iowa's Family Planning Program
Public officials say they're not sure why there has been a sharp decline in the number of people in Iowa using a state family planning program. According to a Department of Human Services report presented at a council meeting on Wednesday, 1,502 people used the program in 2018, a sharp drop from nearly 5,857 in 2017. (Krebs, 12/11)
Health News Florida: Senate Health Panel Clears Parental Consent Abortion Bill
Religious, political and social beliefs are key to the debate over whether to require parental consent for abortions in Florida. After an initial stall, the Senate’s Health Policy Committee voted Tuesday along party lines to approve the measure. Senate Health Policy Committee Chairwoman Gayle Harrell split her hearing room in two—those for and against the bill. People were called up to speak in groups of 10. (Hatter, 12/11)
Columbus Dispatch: Where Did This Ohio Lawmaker Get His Ideas About Implanting Ectopic Pregnancies?
No one was talking about the notion of reimplanting ectopic pregnancies until two conservative Ohio men plopped the idea into their proposal to ban insurance coverage of abortions. Clermont County Rep. John Becker, R-Union Township, didn’t consult doctors about the medical procedure. Instead, he received regular input from Barry Sheets, a lobbyist for the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio, according to emails obtained through a Cincinnati Enquirer public records request. (Balmert, 12/11)
