Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
With New App, Planned Parenthood Hopes To Reach Patients In Rural Areas Effected By Politics Of Abortion Wars
The Wall Street Journal: Planned Parenthood To Expand App-Based Health Services To All 50 States
Planned Parenthood Federation of America will expand a telemedicine program to connect patients with birth-control and other services via smartphone, part of the organization’s effort to extend the reach of its health-care offerings that Republican policy makers have sought to weaken or destroy. Planned Parenthood’s telemedicine app will be available in all 50 states by next year, up from 27 states and Washington, D.C., currently, officials said Wednesday. (Armour, 9/4)
CNET: Planned Parenthood Birth Control App To Be Available Nationwide By 2020
In a release, Planned Parenthood said that through the app, users can request for birth control pills to be delivered to their door, get a prescription for a UTI treatment sent to a nearby pharmacy, learn about different methods of birth control or make an appointment at a Planned Parenthood health center. "Planned Parenthood is continually looking for new ways to reach people with the care they need, and we're proud to be a leader in using technology and innovation to expand people's access to health care and information," Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement. "As politicians across the country try to restrict or block access to critical reproductive and sexual health care, the Planned Parenthood Direct app is just one part of the work we do to ensure that more people can get the care they need, no matter where they are." (Brown, 9/4)
CBS News: New Planned Parenthood App: Need Birth Control? Planned Parenthood Says There's An App For That
The announcement comes less than a month after the healthcare clinic network removed itself from Title X, the marquee federal program dedicated to providing birth control to low-income women. A change to the program last year requires beneficiaries to comply with a so-called "gag order" on abortion services — something that Planned Parenthood said it wasn't willing to do. The clinic's exit will result in a loss of millions of federal dollars. (Smith, 9/4)
The Hill: Planned Parenthood Birth Control App To Expand To All 50 States By End Of 2020
Planned Parenthood says it will expand its telemedicine app to all 50 states by the end of 2020, making it easier for women to access birth control and other prescription drugs without visiting a doctor's office. The announcement comes after the Trump administration effectively banned Planned Parenthood from the Title X family planning program, amounting to a funding loss of $60 million a year for the organization. (Helllmann, 9/4)
