Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Indiana Doctor In Ohio 10-Year-Old's Rape Case Reprimanded Over Privacy
NPR: Indiana Reprimands Doctor Who Spoke Publicly About 10-Year-Old's Abortion
A state medical board is reprimanding an Indiana doctor who drew national attention after speaking publicly about providing an abortion for a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio. Dr. Caitlin Bernard was called before Indiana's Medical Licensing Board after the state's Republican attorney general filed a complaint. A majority of board members found that she had violated privacy laws by speaking about the case, and voted to fine her $3,000 in addition to the reprimand. (McCammon, 5/26)
Indianapolis Star: Indiana Abortion Doctor Violated Privacy Laws, Medical Board Rules
Bernard's employer, IU Health, said she didn't violate HIPAA privacy laws. Her attorneys noted that she reported the girl's abuse on a state form and it had already been reported to law enforcement in Ohio, where the crimes took place. A suspect was subsequently arrested and charged in Ohio. Peter Schwartz, chair of the Council of Ethical & Judicial Affairs at the American Medical Association, said Thursday Bernard had an “affirmative” obligation to speak out when faced with the "most compelling ... ethical dilemma of our lifetimes," referring to the end of the right to an abortion. (Magdaleno, 5/25)
In other abortion news —
USA Today: South Carolina 6-Week Abortion Ban Becomes Law, Providers File Lawsuit
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed a newly minted six-week abortion ban Thursday behind closed doors, triggering a new battle for abortion access in the state as the U.S. South faces a wave of severe restrictions to the care. The state's new ban prohibits abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, which the law says is when a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The ban will go into effect immediately. (Chhetri and Nguyen, 5/26)
ABC News: Map: How Abortion Access Has Shifted In 11 Months Since Roe V. Wade Was Overturned
Access to abortion has decreased in the South in the 11 months since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Sixteen states have ceased nearly all abortions. (El-Bawab, 5/25)
San Francisco Chronicle: California Police Share License Plate Data With Anti-Abortion States
Civil liberties groups told police in 71 California communities Thursday they must stop sharing automated license plate information with law enforcement agencies in other states that could use the data to track people seeking or providing abortions. (Egelko, 5/25)
CNN: Confusion On Abortion, Mistrust In US Supreme Court Followed Dobbs Decision, Survey Finds
The US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, created a fractured abortion landscape in the United States. Nearly a year later, a new KFF survey shows that it has left widespread confusion about the legal status of abortion, along with little trust in the high court to decide cases on reproductive health. (McPhillips, 5/26)
KFF Health News: A Catch-22 For Clinics: State Bans Limit Abortion Counseling. Federal Title X Rules Require It.
State abortion bans in Tennessee and beyond, which constrain women’s health care, have put family planning clinics at risk of losing their federal funding. The conflict involves the Title X family planning program, which provides services to low-income people, including minors. As of 2021, more than 3,200 clinics used federal grants to supply free or low-cost contraception, testing for sexually transmitted infections, screening for breast and cervical cancer, and pregnancy-related counseling. (Pradhan, 5/26)
