Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Iowa Halts Abortion, Contraceptive Payment Help For Rape Victims
AP: Iowa Won't Pay For Rape Victims' Abortions Or Contraceptives
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has paused its practice of paying for emergency contraception — and in rare cases, abortions — for victims of sexual assault, a move that drew criticism from some victim advocates. Federal regulations and state law require Iowa to pay many of the expenses for sexual assault victims who seek medical help, such as the costs of forensic exams and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Under the previous attorney general, Democrat Tom Miller, Iowa’s victim compensation fund also paid for Plan B, the so-called morning after pill, as well as other treatments to prevent pregnancy. (4/9)
AP: Abortion Pill Plan Clears Kansas Legislature; Veto Expected
Abortion opponents pushed a bill through the Kansas Legislature early Friday to require providers to tell patients that a medication abortion can be “reversed” once it’s started — a measure that could face a state court challenge if its supporters can overcome the governor’s expected veto. Republican lawmakers pursued the bill even though experts dispute abortion opponents’ claims about medication abortions. Democrats argue the measure defies a decisive statewide vote in August affirming abortion rights. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a similar measure in 2019. (Hanna, 4/7)
AP: California To Keep Paying Walgreens Despite Abortion Dispute
California’s Medicaid program will continue to pay Walgreens about $1.5 billion each year despite Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom declaring last month the state was done doing business with the pharmacy giant after it indicated it would not sell abortion pills by mail in some states. “California won’t be doing business with @Walgreens -- or any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women’s lives at risk. We’re done,” Newsom tweeted March 6. (4/7)
Stateline: First State Law To Criminalize Abortion ‘Trafficking’ May Inspire Others
“Abortion opponents are testing the waters around abortion bans with this Idaho law, because state lawmakers realize they’re facing a real uphill climb in courts because of the federal right to travel,” said Elizabeth Nash, principal policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. “Other states will be watching closely to see how this plays out.” Idaho’s travel ban is based on wording in a model abortion law proposed by the National Right to Life Committee for lawmakers to introduce in their states. (Vestal, 4/7)
The Washington Post: Two Friends Were Denied Care After Florida Banned Abortion. One Almost Died.
Anya Cook did not want to push. But sitting on the toilet, legs splayed wide, she knew she didn’t have a choice. She was about to deliver her baby alone in the bathroom of a hair salon. On this Thursday afternoon in mid-December, about five months before her due date, she knew the baby would not be born alive. (Kitchener, 4/10)
KHN: Abortion Clinics In Conservative-Led States Face Increasing Legal Threats
Thirty years ago, Blue Mountain Clinic Director Willa Craig stood in front of the sagging roof and broken windows of an abortion clinic that an arsonist had burned down early that morning in Missoula, Montana. “This morning, Missoula, Montana, learned that there is no place in America that is safe from hateful, misguided groups,” she told the crowd of reporters and onlookers. (Bolton, 4/10)
