Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Texas Governor Signs Law That Cuts Insurance Coverage Of Abortion
Texas Tribune: Abbott Signs Bill Restricting Insurance Coverage Of Abortion
Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday signed a bill that will require Texas women to pay an extra health insurance premium for non-emergency abortions, one of three abortion-related items the governor placed on lawmakers' agendas for the special session. The measure, House Bill 214, does not include exceptions for instances of fetal abnormalities, rape or incest. (Najmabadi, 8/15)
Reuters: Texas Governor Signs Bill To Limit Insurance Coverage For Abortions
The Republican governor of Texas signed into law on Tuesday a measure that will restrict insurance coverage for abortions, compelling women to buy a supplemental plan if they want coverage for the procedure. Governor Greg Abbott said the measure known as House Bill 214 would protect abortion opponents from subsidizing the procedure. Democratic critics decried it as forcing people to buy "rape insurance." (Herskovitz, 8/15)
The New York Times: A Changed Landscape For Abortion Rights In Texas
The drive between Del Rio and San Antonio consists of vast expanses of Texas farmland dotted with tiny towns. Along the route, a huge wooden sign in Hondo greets passers-by: “Welcome: This is God’s Country. Please don’t drive through it like hell.” By the time Kristen passed the sign on her way to get an abortion, she had been riding a Greyhound bus for four hours. The 150-mile trip was the shortest distance she could travel to visit an open clinic — Whole Woman’s Health in San Antonio. Her journey is not unique in Texas. (Van Houten, 8/16)
The Washington Post: Oregon Approves Sweeping Bill Expanding Abortion Access
Called the Reproductive Health Equity Act, the measure requires health insurers to provide birth control and abortion without charging a co-pay. It also dedicates state funds to provide reproductive health care to noncitizens excluded from Medicaid. Antiabortion groups swiftly condemned the new law, saying it will force taxpayers to foot the bill for a procedure many consider to be a form of murder, and that it cements Oregon’s status as the most liberal state when it comes to abortion. (Somashekhar, 8/15)
The Associated Press: Oregon Governor Expands Abortion, Reproductive Coverage
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday signed into law a bill expanding coverage on abortions and other reproductive services to thousands of Oregonians, regardless of income, citizenship status or gender identity. Proponents called it America’s most progressive reproductive health policy. (Selsky, 8/16)
