Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Begins Poring Over Mifepristone Safety Data
The Wall Street Journal: Exclusive: FDA Launches Study Of Abortion Pill Safety As Opponents Push For Limits
The Food and Drug Administration has launched a safety study of the abortion pill, also known as mifepristone, a step that could pave the way for the Trump administration to restrict how it is distributed and used. The effort is expected to take about six months, administration officials said, meaning it likely won’t be completed before the midterm elections. ... Former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, ousted last month, had promised lawmakers he would launch a mifepristone study but told others in the administration that he needed new data systems for the effort. The current study is using existing drug-safety surveillance systems at the agency, according to the administration officials. (Essley Whyte, 6/4)
ProPublica: These Republican Lawmakers Challenged Abortion Bans. Then They Faced Backlash.
If Eric Murphy loses his primary election on June 9, he believes he already knows one reason why. Last year, the North Dakota state representative, a Republican, tried to expand the window of pregnancy in which women could access abortion. The state legislature had banned it for almost everyone from the moment of conception. Tied up in court, the ban hadn’t yet gone into effect. But Murphy wanted to lock in a less restrictive law, making abortion accessible up to 15 weeks and even later for women whose doctors deemed it a medical necessity. (Jaramillo, 6/5)
More reproductive health news —
The New York Times: In A First, Scientists Precisely Edit Human Embryo Genes
Scientists at Columbia University have edited the DNA of early human embryos with unprecedented accuracy, an achievement that could open the way to babies engineered with particular characteristics. The prospect has fueled controversy for years. On the one hand, the technology might one day enable parents to safely repair disease-causing mutations in embryos. But it might also be used to select desired traits — a practice that some ethicists have argued is nothing short of eugenics. (Zimmer, 6/4)
AP: Melinda French Gates Increases Women's Health Donations
Philanthropist Melinda French Gates will expand her giving to improve women’s health globally, pledging another $215 million to support contraceptive access and maternal care, as well as initiatives aimed at middle-aged women, including further study of menopause. The new funding announced Thursday pushes French Gates’ donations for women’s health over $600 million in the past two years. (Gamboa, 6/4)
KFF Health News: Upcoming Billing Change Could Make Pregnancy Pricier
Having a baby in the United States is about to get more complicated. Under new billing codes that take effect in January, doctors who manage maternity care will start charging à la carte for visits and services related to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. It’s an about-face from recent years, when doctors have often received a single “bundled” payment for maternity care they provided. Although OB-GYNs strongly back the change and have pushed for it for years, some patient advocates and employers say it’s an open question whether the new system will result in better care or increased patient costs. (Andrews, 6/5)
