Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
World Girds For Trump Abortion Policy
Roll Call: Trump's First Week In Office May Set Tone On Abortion Policy
President-elect Donald Trump’s first actions upon taking office in January could set the tone for how much he plans to leave the issue of regulating abortion to the states. Presidents typically make two key global family planning decisions during their first week in office: whether to fund the United Nations Population Fund, known as UNFPA, and whether to fund foreign nongovernmental organizations that perform, refer for or provide counseling for abortion abroad. (Raman, 11/20)
NPR: Anti-Abortion Groups Have A To-Do List For Trump In His Second Term
During his first term in office, President-elect Donald Trump delivered on many goals of the anti-abortion-rights movement: appointing conservative Supreme Court justices and restricting federal funding for groups like Planned Parenthood, among other things. Now, those activists hope a second Trump term will be a chance to take their agenda further. "All of that is good, what we saw in the first Trump administration. But we can do better," said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America. (McCammon, 11/21)
Politico: Anti-Abortion Groups Have 2 Asks. RFK Jr. Is Listening.
Abortion opponents — concerned about Kennedy’s past comments supporting abortion access — have two major asks: that he appoint an anti-abortion stalwart to a senior position in HHS and that he promise privately to them and publicly during his confirmation hearing to restore anti-abortion policies from the first Trump administration, according to four anti-abortion advocates granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. And Kennedy, according to a fifth person close to the Trump transition, is open to their entreaties. (Messerly, Ollstein and Cancryn, 11/20)
Updates from Idaho, Illinois, and Massachusetts —
ABC News: Miscarrying Patient Was Passed Around 'Like A Hot Potato' Due To Idaho Abortion Ban, Doctor Testifies
A woman experiencing dangerous bleeding was not admitted by doctors at an Idaho hospital until her fourth emergency room visit in one week, due to fear and confusion over the state's abortion ban, an Idaho doctor said in testimony on Tuesday. "My colleagues are so scared and confused to even mention the word, it's like a hot potato -- pass the patient around and hopefully something will happen and declare itself," Dr. Julie Lyons, a family physician in Idaho and plaintiff in a lawsuit over the state's abortion bans, said on the stand. (El-Bawab, 11/20)
Chicago Tribune: Anti-Abortion Groups, Employers Sue Pritzker Over Abortion Law
Half a dozen groups and employers who oppose abortion are suing Gov. JB Pritzker and other state officials, aiming to stop them from enforcing a law that requires health insurers in Illinois to cover abortions and abortion medications at no cost to patients. (Schencker, 11/20)
Axios: Patients Rush To Replace IUDs, Renew Birth Control After Trump's Win
Patients with contraceptive implants and IUDs, which can remain in the body for three to 10 years, are asking Boston-area clinics if they can replace the devices early because they don't know if they will be covered by insurance or available under Trump, doctors say. Some patients are asking to get their IUDs replaced as early as two to three years before they're due to be switched out, says Deborah Bartz, a gynecologist for Mass General Brigham. (Solis, 11/21)
In other reproductive health news —
The Hill: Biden Awards The Medal Of Freedom To Cecile Richards, Former Planned Parenthood President
President Biden awarded on Wednesday the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Cecile Richards, an abortion rights activist and former president of Planned Parenthood. During a private ceremony, Biden said Richards has “led some of our Nation’s most important civil rights causes — to lift up the dignity of workers, defend and advance women’s reproductive rights and equality, and mobilize Americans to exercise their power to vote.” (Weixel, 11/20)
ABC News: Why Rates Of Postpartum Depression Have Doubled In The Last Decade
Rates of postpartum depression -- a serious mood disorder affecting new moms within the first 12 months after childbirth -- have doubled over the last decade, according to a new study of more than 440,000 people from Kaiser Permanente Southern California. The rate of diagnosis jumped from about 9% in 2010 to 19% in 2021. This is part of a larger trend. Mental health conditions are now the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Zusstone, 11/20)
