Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mifepristone Makers Ask High Court To Restore Mail Access To Abortion Pill
Politico: Drugmakers File Emergency Appeal To Restore Abortion Pill Access
Two companies that make the abortion drug mifepristone asked the Supreme Court on Saturday to hit pause on Friday’s lower court ruling that cut off telemedicine access to the pills nationwide, including in states where abortion is legal. The emergency appeals ask the high court to temporarily restore a federal policy that allows the pills to be prescribed online and delivered by mail, arguing that failing to do so would cause “immediate chaos” and leave patients around the country in limbo. (Ollstein, 5/2)
AP: What To Know About The Ruling Blocking The Mailing Of Abortion Pill Mifepristone
Friday's ruling affects all states, even those without abortion restrictions. "This is a huge access issue for patients that haven't got providers close by, or providers close by who are willing to prescribe," said Josh Thorburn, owner of Eddie's Pharmacy in Los Angeles. (Schoenbaum and Mulvihill, 5/2)
Missouri Independent: Hawley Puts Missouri At Center Of National Fight Over Abortion Pill
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley has opened a new front in the fight about medication abortion, pushing legislation to revoke federal approval of mifepristone, urging the Justice Department to investigate its manufacturer and helping launch a national political group aimed at reshaping abortion debates after a string of losses on the ballot. The push has made Missouri a central arena in the national fight over mifepristone. (Spoerre, 5/4)
More reproductive health news —
Chicago Tribune: Gov. JB Pritzker, Democrats Holding Off On Abortion Rights Amendment
Embarking on a second term about six months after the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority struck down the federal right to abortion, Gov. JB Pritzker declared in his January 2023 inaugural address that the new realities facing those seeking the procedure “demand that we establish a constitutional protection for reproductive rights in Illinois.” In the four legislative sessions since, however, Pritzker and the Democratic-controlled Illinois General Assembly have taken no visible steps toward realizing that goal. (Petrella, 5/3)
NC Newsline: Attempts To Lower The Rate Of Black Maternal Deaths In NC Face New Challenges
The path leading to the track at a Durham middle school on Saturday was marked with signs bearing the names of Black women who died from pregnancy-related causes. (Bonner, 5/3)
MedPage Today: Most Infection-Related Maternal Mortality Is Preventable, Study Says
Infection remains a top cause of maternal mortality with most infection-related maternal deaths being preventable, a descriptive study of Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) data found. (Robertson, 5/3)
MedPage Today: Racial Differences Persist For Menopause Hormone Therapy Prescriptions
Rates of menopause hormone therapy significantly differed by racial group, a retrospective cohort study found. Non-Hispanic white patients had the highest utilization of menopause hormone therapy at 10.8% while Black patients had the lowest rate at 5.4%, reported Nikita Chigullapally, an MD candidate at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine in Urbana, Illinois, in a presentation at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) annual meeting. (Robertson, 5/3)
KFF Health News: Journalists Share Latest On Baby Formula Safety, Estrogen Patches, And Postcancer Costs
Céline Gounder, KFF Health News’ editor-at-large for public health, discussed the results of the FDA’s largest baby formula safety test on CBS News 24/7’s The Daily Report on April 29. She also discussed how women seeking treatment for menopause symptoms are facing a shortage of estrogen patches on CBS News’ CBS Mornings on April 27. (5/2)
