Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
South Korean Investigation Reveals Widespread Adoption Fraud
The Washington Post: South Korea Admits To Adoption Fraud And Babies Taken Without Consent
The findings of a government probe confirm what many adoptees attested to for years: Babies were sent abroad for profit, often with falsified backstories. (Cho, 3/27)
In other reproductive health news —
AP: A Bill Proposing A Near-Total Abortion Ban Causes An Uproar At Georgia's Capitol
A crowd of protesters on each side of the abortion debate flooded a windowless Georgia Capitol hallway Wednesday with chants and signs as lawmakers held a hearing on a bill that would ban the procedure in almost all cases. Although the bill will not go anywhere this year because a deadline has passed for consideration by both chambers, the hearing granted by the House’s Republican leadership gave anti-abortion activists a chance to speak out on an issue near and dear to their constituents. The bill would make most abortions a crime from the point of fertilization, at which point one would be considered a person, and classify the procedure as a homicide. (Kramon, 3/26)
ProPublica: Texas GOP Lawmakers Propose Amending Abortion Ban
Texas Republicans have proposed changes to the state’s strict abortion ban they say would make clear that doctors can terminate pregnancies for serious medical risks without having to wait until a patient’s condition becomes life-threatening. The legislation comes in response to a ProPublica investigation last fall that revealed how three Texas women died after they did not receive critical procedures during miscarriages. (Surana and Jaramillo, 3/27)
Virginia Mercury: Virginia's Youngkin Signs Several Maternal Health Bills, Tweaks Another On Unconscious Bias Training
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has signed Senate Bill 1352 and House Bill 1635, which build on a 2021 law that allowed some midwives to establish private practices after completing 1,000 training hours under agreements with other physicians. The new bills will extend that opportunity to other types of midwives. Youngkin also signed House Bill 1904, which will allow midwives and nurse practitioners to be on 24-hour on-call duty rosters. But for the second year in a row, he is seeking an amendment on the unconscious bias training bill. Senate Bill 740 and House Bill 1649 would require workers to complete unconscious bias and cultural competency training to renew medical licenses. (Woods, 3/27)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Family Planning Program For Low-Income Granite Staters Could Be On The Budget Chopping Block
A House budget panel is recommending that lawmakers eliminate funding for a family planning program for low-income Granite Staters. That funding allows certain health centers to provide contraception, STI testing and other reproductive and sexual health care at no cost. (Cuno-Booth, 3/26)
Also —
NBC News: A 66-Year-Old Woman Gives Birth To 10th Child, And She Says She Conceived Without IVF
A 66-year-old woman in Germany gave birth to her 10th child on March 19. Alexandra Hildebrandt, the mother, tells TODAY.com that she did not use fertility drugs, and had no difficulty conceiving. The baby, a boy named Philipp, was delivered through a cesarean section at Charité Hospital in Berlin. Hildebrandt says he weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and was “healthy.” (Abrahamson, 3/27)
