Oregon Insurance Law Does Not Apply To Anti-Abortion Group, Judge Decrees
A full rendering of the judge's decision will be released soon, but for now it is thought to exempt only Oregon Right To Life from a state law to “not impose on an enrollee a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement” for reproductive health care.
A federal judge in Oregon ruled Tuesday that a state law requiring insurance plans to cover abortions and contraception violates the Constitutional rights of Oregon Right to Life. The full scope of U.S. District Court Judge Mustafa Kasubhai’s ruling won’t be known until next week at the earliest, though his temporary ruling represents a win for the anti-abortion nonprofit. (Wilson, 4/14)
An Iowa bill that would restrict access to abortion pills by mail drew divided opinions from people during a House Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday, with supporters calling it a safety measure and opponents arguing it would spread misinformation and further limit abortion access. During a packed room Tuesday, Iowans urged lawmakers to either reject or advance the proposal, House File 2563, which focuses on the abortion medications like mifepristone and misoprostol, who can administer the medications, what legal options there are for patients, and more. (4/14)
The group behind a proposed ballot initiative to end Idaho’s strict abortion ban says it is close to qualifying the initiative to be on ballots this November. Idahoans United for Women and Families Executive Director Melanie Folwell said Tuesday that organizers have gathered nearly 100,000 signatures so far. To qualify for the ballot, the initiative needs at least 70,725 qualifying signatures from Idaho registered voters. Ballot initiative organizers often gather more signatures than needed. (Pfannenstiel, 4/14)
A program that covers the cost for low-income patients seeking reproductive health care in California will run out of money without an amendment in this year’s state budget. (Gurevich, 4/14)
The Justice Department accused the Biden administration of unfairly prosecuting anti-abortion activists the day after it fired at least four attorneys who were involved in prosecuting those cases. (Luthra, 4/14)
The Trump administration’s mixed messaging on federal family planning funds has anti-abortion groups simultaneously outraged and optimistic, after the administration rolled out widely divergent goals over a matter of days during the spring Congressional recess. (Cohen, 4/14)
In other reproductive health news —
Seasonal shifts in behavior — not temperature — may subtly influence sperm motility. Whether this variation in sperm quality influences fertility remains to be seen. (Brincat, 4/13)
A new baby gets all the attention, as they should. Eventually, the focus turns to mom, and then to dad. As CBS News New York's Cindy Hsu reports, some fathers may suffer from a form of depression that is treatable. Mental health experts say 1 in 10 men suffer from paternal postpartum depression, and it is not a sign that you don't love your baby or partner. The symptoms in men usually occur during the first year after the baby is born, and they're at higher risk if the mother is suffering from postpartum depression. (Hsu, 4/14)
Kwaneta Harris suddenly developed intense shoulder pain in 2019. Incarcerated in Texas, she began the process of requesting a specialized medical visit, certain she needed to see an orthopedist. Then, she started having heart palpitations and tachycardia, an abnormally fast resting heart rate, and requested a visit to the cardiologist. (McCray, 4/14)
