Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Planned Parenthood Seeks Emergency Injunction In Clash With Florida Regulators
With Congress in summer recess into September, anti-abortion officials in a number of Republican-controlled states are rushing to halt public funding for Planned Parenthood or to investigate it in reaction to hidden-camera videos claiming that it profits from fetal tissue sales. On Monday, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida sought a judge’s emergency injunction against the state health agency, which did inspections ordered by the governor and cited three clinics — in St. Petersburg, Naples and Fort Myers — as illegally performing second-trimester abortions when they are licensed only for first-trimester procedures. The state used a new definition of gestational age, one that differs from that of medical societies. (Calmes, 8/17)
Planned Parenthood on Monday asked a judge to intervene in its ongoing dispute with Gov. Rick Scott and state health regulators over alleged violations of its licenses to perform abortions. The organization filed a lawsuit against the state Agency for Health Care Administration in response to citations it was issued Aug. 5 at three of its 16 Florida clinics. AHCA alleges that Planned Parenthood was illegally performing abortions in the second trimester of pregnancy when it was only licensed to serve first-trimester patients at its facilities in St. Petersburg, Fort Myers and Naples. (Auslen and Bousquet, 8/17)
Planned Parenthood sought an emergency legal injunction on Monday against Florida health officials to block the use of what it says are new and unpublished standards to define pregnancy gestation periods. The legal move filed in circuit court in Tallahassee came after Florida Republican Governor Rick Scott ordered a probe last month of the state's 16 Planned Parenthood locations, resulting in three clinics being cited on Aug. 5 for illegally performing abortions in the second trimester. (Adams, 8/17)
Planned Parenthood in Florida asked a judge Monday for an emergency ruling to allow them to continue performing abortions at 12 and 13 weeks after a discrepancy with the state about what constitutes first and second-trimester abortions. The request comes after state health officials recently inspected 16 Planned Parenthood facilities and said three were performing second-trimester abortions when they licensed to perform first-trimester abortions. (8/17)