Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Maternal, Infant Death Rates Were Already Higher In States That Now Ban Abortion
ABC News: States Who Banned Abortion Already Had High Maternal Death Rates And Fewer Doctors: Study
States who imposed strict abortion laws this year were already more likely to have significantly higher maternal and infant death rates as well as fewer doctors providing care to women, according to an analysis released Wednesday by an influential nonprofit research group. (Flaherty, 12/14)
NBC News: Abortion Restrictions Linked To Higher Maternal And Infant Mortality, Report Finds
According to the report, states that heavily restricted abortion access in 2020 had maternal death rates that were 62% higher than they were in states where abortion was more easily accessible. The disparity may be aggravated by state-level changes after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, the report says. (Madani, 12/14)
More on abortion and reproductive rights —
AP: Vermont Governor Signs Amendment Protecting Abortion Rights
Republican Gov. Phil Scott on Tuesday signed the document inscribing the Reproductive Liberty Amendment into the Vermont Constitution, formally changing the state’s founding document to protect reproductive rights including abortion. Scott also signed a second constitutional amendment stating that slavery and indentured servitude are prohibited in the state. (Ring, 12/13)
AP: Indiana Appealing 2nd Court Decision Blocking Abortion Ban
A second legal challenge that has blocked Indiana’s abortion ban from being enforced could also be headed to the state Supreme Court. The Indiana attorney general’s office asked the state’s highest court to review a county judge’s Dec. 2 ruling that the abortion ban adopted in August by the Republican-dominated Legislature violates the state’s 2015 religious freedom law signed by GOP then-Gov. Mike Pence. (Davies, 12/13)
Reuters: Full 7th Circuit Urged To Strike Down Indiana Fetal Burial Law
Abortion patients and doctors are urging a federal appeals court to overrule a three-judge panel's order last month upholding a 2016 Indiana law that requires healthcare providers to bury or cremate fetal remains, rather than incinerate them with medical waste. (Pierson, 12/13)
