Worries Over Litigation Forcing Alabama Hospital To Halt IVF Treatment

The Hill: Alabama Hospital To Stop IVF Treatments At The End Of 2024 Due To ‘Litigation Concerns’
An Alabama hospital said it plans to stop offering in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments at the end of this year due to “litigation concerns” surrounding the therapy. Mobile Infirmary said “it will no longer be able to offer” IVF services in a news release on Wednesday. The decision follows Alabama’s Supreme Court ruling that people who destroy frozen embryos can be liable for wrongful death. (Timotija, 4/3)

On other developments relating to abortion care —

Health News Florida, WUSF: Planned Parenthood Centers In Florida Prepare For A Six-Week Abortion Ban
Health centers are trying to accommodate as many patients post-six weeks as they can before the ban goes into effect May 1. After that, most patients will have to travel elsewhere. Planned Parenthood officials in Florida say they've been preparing for months for the possibility of a six-week abortion ban. Now that the Florida Supreme Court has upheld the current 15-week ban, the increased abortion restrictions will kick in May 1. (Colombini, 4/3)

AP: Florida's Stricter Ban On Abortions Could Put More Pressure On Clinics Elsewhere
The drive to Bristol, Virginia, from Jacksonville, Florida, takes more than eight hours. It’s over 10 from Orlando and closer to 14 from Miami. Despite that distance, Bristol Women’s Health Center is preparing for an influx of women from Florida seeking abortions when a stricter ban kicks in next month. For many people who otherwise would have obtained abortions in Florida, the clinic in southwest Virginia will become the closest practical option. (Mulvihill, 4/3)

Tampa Bay Times: Florida Clinics To Help Women Travel Out Of State Due To 6-Week Abortion Ban
It’s a nearly 10-hour car drive from Tampa to a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Wilmington, North Carolina. By plane, it’ll take about two hours to fly to the Washington, D.C., area — then another 20 minutes to drive to an abortion provider in Virginia. It’s a 1,850-mile round trip to get from St. Petersburg to a southern Illinois clinic that offers the surgical procedure. (O'Donnell and Ogozalek, 4/3)

Politico: Florida Democrats Warn Biden Against Politicizing Abortion Ballot Effort
Florida Democrats, fearing politicization will sink a November ballot measure protecting abortion, are warning President Joe Biden’s campaign not to alienate Republicans. Already, the Biden campaign declared Florida “winnable,” launched digital ads in Florida showing Donald Trump bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade and held a call with reporters to put the former president on the spot over the issue. All of it could push away GOP voters crucial to passing the initiative to protect abortion. (Sarkissian and Leonard, 4/3)

In other news —

St. Louis Public Radio: Federal Aim To Reduce Missouri Maternal And Infant Mortality
Leaders from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration visited St. Louis University on Wednesday to discuss what federal officials could do to reduce the state’s high rate of maternal and infant deaths. Agency officials took part in a discussion with dozens of providers, government officials and patients from around the state who receive federal funding from the agency. (Fentem, 4/3)

KFF Health News: Feds Join Ranks Of Employers With Generous Fertility Benefits
Companies have increasingly offered generous fertility benefits to attract and keep top-notch workers. Now, the federal government is getting in on the act. Starting this year, federal employees can choose plans that cover several fertility services, including up to $25,000 annually for in vitro fertilization procedures and up to three artificial insemination cycles each year. With about 2.1 million civilian employees, the federal government is the nation’s largest employer. (Andrews, 4/4)