Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Judge Rules Missouri's Restriction On Medication Abortion Can Stand, Denying Planned Parenthood Request
The Associated Press: Judge Allows Missouri Medical Abortion Rules To Stand
A federal judge has denied a Planned Parenthood request to block new Missouri regulations on abortion that have so far prevented the organization from offering medication-induced abortions at two of its clinics. U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips wrote in a ruling Monday that the regulations "have virtually no benefit" but do not impose enough of a burden on women to be considered unconstitutional, The Columbia Tribune reported. (6/12)
KCUR: Missouri's Restriction On Medication Abortions Can Continue, Judge Rules
The regulation, which was adopted by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) in October 2017, requires providers of medication abortions to contract with an ob-gyn who has hospital admitting privileges and who agrees to be available 24/7 to treat any complications arising from a medication abortion. The regulation, which was adopted by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) in October 2017, requires providers of medication abortions to contract with an ob-gyn who has hospital admitting privileges and who agrees to be available 24/7 to treat any complications arising from a medication abortion. Planned Parenthood’s health clinics in Kansas City and St. Louis have been able to comply with the state’s requirement and enter into agreements with local ob-gyns. But its clinics in Columbia and Springfield have been unable to do so, meaning women seeking a medication abortion in those cities have to travel to Kansas City or St. Louis to undergo the procedure.(Margolies, 6/12)
WBUR: Americans' Support For Abortion Rights Wanes As Pregnancy Progresses
Gallup finds that 60 percent of Americans believe abortion generally should be legal during the first three months of pregnancy, known as the first trimester. That support drops by more than half, to 28 percent, once a pregnancy reaches the second trimester; it falls to 13 percent in the third trimester, at which point the fetus is often viable with medical support. (McCamon, 6/13)
The Hill: Lawmaker: Bill Tackling Maternal Death Rates To Get Vote Before August
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) is confident her bill aimed at addressing increasing maternal death rates can pass, and says she has a commitment from leadership that a vote on the House floor will occur before August. "I’m in the trust but verify camp, so if you’re helping us advocate for this, don’t let up,” Herrera Beutler said Tuesday at an event hosted by The Hill and sponsored by AMAG Pharmaceuticals. (Roubein, 6/12)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: A Bundle Of Joy, A Pile Of Bills: Childbirth Can Cost Thousands In Out-Of-Pocket Expenses
U.S. hospitals charged an average of $12,290 for vaginal birth and $16,907 for a cesarean section in 2017, according to data from FAIR Health, a nonprofit that tracks health-care prices. Insurance plans typically negotiate a lower rate, but the charges and the amount insurance pays vary widely across the country, from $9,000 for a vaginal birth in Alabama to $27,000 for a C-section in Alaska. (Gantz, 6/13)
