Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Insurers To See Low Impact Of Ending Roe; Providers Prepare For Upheaval
Modern Healthcare: Roe Reversal Wouldn't Cause Health Insurers Like Blue Cross Parent HCSC Much Disruption
With the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned, health insurance companies will likely be forced to navigate a new set of patchwork, state-by-state regulations related to abortion. About half the states are expected to tightly restrict or completely ban abortion if the Supreme Court reverses the long-standing precedent, likely ushering in more restrictions on whether insurance companies can cover abortions. Some states already have laws restricting coverage of abortion by private insurance plans. Other states, like Illinois, require insurers to cover most reproductive services, including abortion. (Davis, 5/5)
How many abortions are performed in the US? —
USA Today: How Many Abortions In US? Birth Control Responsible For Declining Rate
Abortion rates in the United States have been falling steadily for decades, long before restrictive statutes began to make the procedure difficult to obtain in some areas. Experts say access to better birth control is one of the main reasons. Abortions in the U.S. peaked in 1981, at a rate of 29.3 per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since then, the number has fallen by three-fifths. In 2019, the last year for which numbers are available, the rate was 11.4. The decline has been seen in almost all states, regardless of whether abortion access was restricted, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. (Weise, 5/5)
Green Bay Press-Gazette: Wisconsin Abortions Declined 60% In Three Decades, New Report Shows
At a time when abortion is back, front and center in the national debate on reproductive health care, an annual report released this week gives a detailed picture of the prevalence of abortion in Wisconsin. According to the data compiled by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the state has seen a steep decline in the rate and number of induced abortions since the late 1980s, which follows in lockstep with the national trend. The decline speaks to both the advancement of contraceptives and the dearth of abortion clinics in the state, according to experts who follow the issue. (Eilbert, 5/5)
The Wall Street Journal: What Are Abortion Pills And How Widely Are They Used?
Two medications—mifepristone and misoprostol—are typically used in a medication abortion regimen. A single dose of mifepristone is followed by a course or several courses—depending on the number of weeks of pregnancy—of misoprostol pills. The regimen is safe and highly effective, reproductive health experts say, with efficacy rates of 95% if administered at 10 weeks of pregnancy or earlier. (Mosbergen, 5/5)
ABC News: Abortion In US With No Roe V. Wade Would Get Very Complicated, Attorney Kathryn Kolbert Says
Attorney Kathryn Kolbert has spent a majority of her career thinking about the after-effects on reproductive rights if the Supreme Court was to overturn Roe v. Wade. She believes prohibiting abortions will force some women to turn to unsafe practices to terminate pregnancies that will put their lives in danger. “Women are crafty,” said Kolbert. “I'm not advocating that they break the law, but the reality is, as in the days before Roe, the underground market will operate.” (Yamada and Mielke, 5/5)
Providers brace for more patients —
Detroit Free Press: Roe V. Wade Draft Leak Leads To Clinic Calls, Plan B Purchase Uptick
Several "what if" questions about birth control have emerged this week after a confirmed draft opinion that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked to the public. There has been a surge of calls, clinics say. Most are from women who are seeking to learn more about their options, particularly about contraceptive medication, such as Plan B, and devices. "It is causing panic," Renee Chelian, founder and CEO of Northland Family Planning in Southfield said Thursday, adding that other reproductive health clinics are getting calls, too. "We also have seen a lot of posts on Facebook." (Witsil, 5/5)
NBC News: ‘All Hands On Deck’: Some States Brace For Influx Of Patients If Roe Is Struck Down
In southern Illinois, a few miles from the Missouri border, a clinic that provides abortion procedures is preparing for a deluge. The Planned Parenthood clinic in Fairview Heights is surrounded by “trigger law” states that would immediately ban abortions if Roe v. Wade is struck down. If that happens, the clinic could see upward of 15,000 more patients a year, about half of the additional patients expected to flow to Illinois. It’s trying to get ahead of the inundation. The clinic has posted five new positions, and it’s considering operating seven days a week, up from six, with 12-hour day and nighttime shifts. (Ali, 5/5)
Axios: Abortion Providers Plan For The End Of Roe
Abortion clinics are already preparing to shift people and resources away from red states, in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Blue states — including California, Oregon, Minnesota, Maryland and Massachusetts — are taking steps to prepare for a potential influx in patients seeking abortion care if Roe falls. Many abortion providers "are planning to move or travel to places where they will be able to continue to care for patients," Alhambra Frarey, an OB-GYN in Pennsylvania and a fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, said in a statement. (Gonzalez and Van Oot, 5/6)
