Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Justice Alito Extends Supreme Court’s Deadline For Mifepristone Ruling
NPR: The Supreme Court's Deadline For The Mifepristone Abortion Pill Case Extended 3 Days
The Supreme Court on Monday gave itself more time to consider a national ban on telemedicine access to the abortion pill mifepristone. Justice Samuel Alito extended an earlier order he issued by three more days, so rules for prescribing mifepristone online or through the mail remain in effect through Thursday at a minimum. (Simmons-Duffin, 5/11)
The Hill: Trump Administration Proposes Rule For Fertility Coverage
A new proposed rule from the Trump administration aims to make it easier for employers to offer coverage of fertility treatments, as part of larger efforts to expand access to fertility services including in-vitro fertilization. The new rule released Sunday from the Department of Labor would create a new exempted insurance benefit — in the same category as dental and vision benefit coverage— for treating infertility. (Weixel, 5/11)
Stat: PCOS Is Now Called PMOS. The Renaming Process Lasted A Decade
PCOS is dead. Long live PMOS. Revealed Tuesday, the one-letter change in nomenclature for a common metabolic condition in women may seem unremarkable, but it follows more than a decade of vigorous debate over the need for a name that more precisely and completely describes what until now was known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). (Merelli, 5/12)
Studies show —
CIDRAP: No Link Between Maternal COVID Infection And Birth Defects, Data Suggest
Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of congenital anomalies in newborns, according to a large population-based study published last week in JAMA Network Open. Some initial studies had raised concerns about maternal COVID infection and birth defects, specifically heart abnormalities, while other research has shown no connection. (Bergeson, 5/11)
CIDRAP: Mental Imagery Related To Vaccines May Influence Pregnant Women’s Uptake
The mental images that pop up when pregnant women consider vaccinations during pregnancy may affect their opinion and uptake of the vaccines, according to a study published in Social Science & Medicine. (Van Beusekom, 5/11)
Reproductive health news from the states —
The 19th: Midwives Are Challenging Georgia's Restrictions Against Their Care
Jamarah Amani was living in Pennsylvania when she had her first child. She had the care of a midwife who made her experience so much easier. The midwife got on the floor to show Amani yoga poses for back pain, answered all of her questions and stayed by her side through the birth. (Gladney, 5/11)
San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Planned Parenthood Workers Are Unionizing, Citing Trump Cuts
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte workers announced plans Monday to form a union, citing what they said was an urgent need to protect access to healthcare amid the Trump administration’s cuts to Medicaid. Mar Monte, the largest Planned Parenthood affiliate in the country, last year swiftly closed five clinics across Northern California and the Central Coast — including three in the Bay Area — after President Donald Trump signed a bill into law that eliminated federal Medicaid funding for any type of medical care provided by organizations that perform abortions. (DiNatale, 5/11)
MedPage Today: HPV Vaccination Rates Vary Widely From State To State
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates varied substantially across and within U.S. regions, according to estimates in a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis, suggesting targeted interventions should focus on the needs of individual states. (Rudd, 5/11)
