Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Michigan Governor Blocks Budget Sections That Limit Abortion Access
Detroit Free Press: Whitmer Vetoes Budget Items Restricting Abortion Access, Stem Research
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed sections of the $22.2 billion education budget, which she signed Thursday, related to restricting abortion access for college students and restricting research on embryonic stem cells, a spokesman said. (Egan, 7/14)
In abortion updates from Missouri and California —
St. Louis Public Radio: Parson Won't Call Special Session On Ectopic Pregnancies
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday that he will not call a special session to pass legislation to protect access to contraceptives and the ability of doctors to treat ectopic pregnancies. (Davis, 7/14)
CalMatters: Abortion Pills Will Be Offered On California Campuses
As California’s efforts to enshrine abortion access continue, the University of California and California State University are working to provide medication abortions on all campuses by Jan. 1. So far, none of the Cal State campuses offer medication abortions, and access within the UC system varies from campus to campus. Both university systems, however, say they are on track to implement a law passed in 2019 requiring their student health centers to provide access to the pills. (Seshadri, 7/13)
On abortion providers in Illinois, Wisconsin, and New Mexico —
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Planned Parenthood Of Illinois Seeing 10 Times More Wisconsin Patients
Planned Parenthood of Illinois officials announced Thursday their clinics have seen roughly a tenfold increase in the number of Wisconsin patients seeking abortion services since the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. (Shastri, 7/14)
Chicago Tribune: In Wake Of Roe's Fall, Wisconsin Doctors Providing Services In Illinois
Wisconsin medical providers are traveling across state lines to provide abortions in Illinois, expanding access to the procedure after the recent fall of Roe v. Wade. (Lourgos, 7/14)
AP: Southern New Mexico County Says Abortion Clinics Not Welcome
A local government board in southern New Mexico approved a message Thursday saying that abortion clinics are not welcome in politically conservative Otero County — even though state law allows most abortion procedures. The nonbinding anti-abortion resolution, approved in a 3-0 vote, said the commission “stands firmly against the presence in the county of Planned Parenthood clinics or any other clinics where abortion is practiced at will and on demand.” (Lee, 7/15)
In related news about reproductive rights —
The 19th: IVF Patients Hurry To Move Embryos Out Of States With Abortion Bans
In the hours after Roe v. Wade was overturned, frantic emails began spilling into Dr. Robert Hunter’s inbox. But his patients weren’t asking about abortion, the procedure Roe had protected since 1973. They were asking about their embryos — specifically, whether they should move them. (Carrazana and Gerson, 7/14)
Reuters: State Abortion Bans Prevent Women From Getting Essential Medication
Annie England Noblin, a 40-year-old resident of rural Missouri, had never had a problem filling her monthly prescription for methotrexate until this week. ... The pharmacy ultimately filled the prescription, but Noblin said she will likely switch to a different, more expensive medication in case they refuse to fill her prescription in the future. "It's infuriating," Noblin said. "It made me feel I couldn't be trusted with the medication prescribed to me simply because I have a uterus." (Horowitch, 7/14)
AP: EXPLAINER: How Gestational Age Plays A Role In Abortion Laws
The abortion bans taking effect after the nation’s highest court overturned Roe v. Wade vary greatly in how they define when a pregnancy can be ended. Some laws prohibit abortion at the point of the “first detectable heartbeat” while others restrict abortion at 15, 22 or 24 weeks of pregnancy. This means determining how far along someone is in pregnancy — gestational age — has become more important, because there is a smaller window of time to secure the procedure in about half of the states in the U.S. Here’s a look at how gestational age is determined and how states use that metric to restrict abortion. (Kruesi, 7/14)
KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Life After ‘Roe’ Is … Confusing
The Supreme Court’s decision overturning the federal constitutional right to abortion has left confusion in its wake. State abortion laws are in constant flux, patients and providers are unsure what services are legal where, and employers struggling to accommodate workers face privacy and, potentially, legal obstacles. (7/14)
