Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Massachusetts' Third Busiest Abortion Clinic Fighting For Survival Even In Progressive State
Boston Globe: The State’s Third Busiest Abortion Clinic Could Close Soon Without Financial Support
The threat of abortion clinic closures has become commonplace in such states as Missouri and Louisiana, where lawmakers have passed bills aimed at curtailing the procedures. But the threat has hit home in progressive Massachusetts, where the state’s third busiest abortion clinic revealed it’s in a fight for survival. Its medical director recently launched a GoFundMe page aimed at raising $250,000 fast. (Ebbert, 1/6)
Kaiser Health News: In Massachusetts, Minors Need Permission For Abortion, But That Could Change
She was 15 and recovering from rape, when she realized she was pregnant. She knew right away that she wanted to terminate the pregnancy. But as in many states, Massachusetts required — and still requires — minors to get a parent’s consent before an abortion. “I knew I couldn’t tell my mom or my immediate family members because my pregnancy was the result of a sexual assault from a family friend,” the now 23-year-old woman said. (KHN and NPR agreed to withhold her name.) Her home, she added, “wasn’t necessarily a safe or healthy one at the time.” (Bebinger, 1/7)
Columbus Dispatch: Cincinnati’s Last Abortion Clinic Could Close
The last abortion clinic in Cincinnati could be shut down by state regulators. Ohio Health Director Amy Acton wants to revoke the Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio Region’s license for failing to have a written agreement with a local hospital to transfer patients in case of emergency. The clinic remains open pending a hearing on the matter. A date has not been set. Planned Parenthood has not had a transfer agreement since 2013, but has been operating under a variance, the most recent one granted by the state last year because the clinic had four backup physicians to ensure coverage and hospital admissions to patients. (Candisky, 1/6)
Wyoming Public Radio: Abortion Reversal Laws In Idaho, Utah Could Endanger Women, Study Finds
A new study casts doubt on the safety of state abortion laws in the Mountain West.Laws in Idaho and Utah require physicians to tell women seeking an abortion that they could “reverse” the abortion if it’s medication-induced. Women rarely choose to back out of the process once it’s started, but a new study suggests it could be dangerous if they do. (Beck, 1/6)
