Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Private Foundation Support Keeps Colo. Birth Control Program Alive
The Denver Post: Colorado's Birth Control Program Kept Afloat By $2M In Temporary Funds
Roughly $2 million has been pledged in temporary funding to keep afloat a hot-button Colorado program that provides long-acting reversible contraceptives to low-income and uninsured teenagers and women. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Tuesday announced the funding for the Colorado Family Planning Initiative in a news release. Officials say money for the initiative, which is aimed at reducing teen pregnancy and abortion rates, is coming from more than a dozen organizations. (Paul, 8/27)
Kaiser Health News: Private Money Saves Colorado IUD Program As Fight Continues For Public Funding
A Colorado birth control program that has cut unintended pregnancies and abortions by nearly half since 2009 will stay alive for at least one more year thanks to $2 million in donations from private foundations. (McCrimmon, 8/27)
The Associated Press: Judge Strikes Down Law To Limit Medicaid Funds For Abortions
A state court judge in Alaska ruled Thursday that a law further defining what constitutes a medically necessary abortion for purposes of Medicaid funding is unconstitutional. Superior Court Judge John Suddock ordered that the state be blocked from implementing the law, passed last year, and a similar regulation, finding both violated the equal protection clause of the Alaska Constitution. (Bohrer, 8/28)
Alaska Public Radio/KTOO: Judge Strikes Down Law Restricting Medicaid-Funded Abortions
The Alaska Superior Court today struck down a state law that would have limited Medicaid coverage of abortions for low-income women. The judge found the law, which imposes a strict definition of “medically necessary abortion” violates the equal protection guarantees of Alaska’s constitution. (Phu, 8/27)
