Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Law Protecting Pregnant Workers Goes Into Effect Across US
NBC News: Pregnant Workers May Get More Accommodations As New Law Takes Effect
Millions of pregnant and postpartum workers across the country could be legally entitled to longer breaks, shorter hours and time off for medical appointments and recovery from childbirth beginning Tuesday, when the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act takes effect. The new law mandates that employers with at least 15 employees provide "reasonable accommodations" to workers who need them due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is tasked with enforcing the law. (McShane, 6/27)
CBS News: The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Is A Game Changer For U.S. Women. Here's Why.
The new law effectively patches a legal gap between the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) in which pregnant women could fall through the cracks in the workplace. "We have heard from workers who say they were put in that impossible position of choosing between a paycheck and a healthy pregnancy," said Elizabeth Gedmark of A Better Balance, an advocacy group for pregnant workers. (Cerullo, 6/27)
In other reproductive health news —
Philadelphia Inquirer: Pennsylvania Will Require Hospitals To Track Pregnancy And Birth-Related Health Complications To Combat Maternal Mortality
The Pennsylvania Department of Health will soon be required to track the health issues that mothers go through during pregnancy and birth, as part of an effort to address the state’s high maternal death rates. The General Assembly sent a bill to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk last week that would require the Department of Health to list “severe maternal morbidity” on death certificates and hospital discharges. (Renno, 6/28)
NPR: In Texas, A Rare Program Offers Hope For Some Of The Most Vulnerable Women And Babies
The pregnancy was a turning point for L. She was in an abusive relationship. "He actually hit me when I was pregnant," she says. "I was like, 'Well, if that's not gonna stop him, then nothing is.'" NPR is not using her full name — just her initial — out of concern for L's safety. (Riddle, 6/28)
Axios: The Cost Of Giving Birth In California
Having a baby isn't cheap anywhere, but California ranks among some of the pricier states to give birth, according to new data provided first to Axios from FAIR Health. Why it matters: FAIR Health's new Cost of Giving Birth Tracker — which uses data from more than 41 billion private health care claim records — offers a glimpse at how much variability there is in the cost of one of the most common health care services. (Reed, 6/27)
Modern Healthcare: Women’s Health Funding: Promising Signs, Yet 'Woefully Behind'
In the world of women’s health funding, the majority of founders, investors and advocates say the progress made in the last two years isn’t enough. “We’re in the early innings,” said Gina Bartasi, CEO of fertility startup Kindbody. “We’re seeing more investments and more resources but we’re still woefully behind.” (Perna, 6/27)
Also —
AP: Scientists Use Stem Cells To Create Models Of Human Embryos And Study Our Earliest Days
Scientists have created embryo models to help study the mysteries of early human development, the medical problems that happen before birth and why many pregnancies fail. These models are made from stem cells, not egg and sperm, and can’t grow into babies. “They’re complete enough to give you a picture of what may be happening in the embryo during pregnancy, but they’re not so complete that you could actually use them for reproduction,” said Insoo Hyun, an ethicist and director of life sciences at Boston’s Museum of Science. “It just will not work.” (Ungar, 6/27)
