Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Utah Can Halt Planned Parenthood Funding While Lawsuit Goes Forward, Judge Rules
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Utah can cut off federal funds to the state’s Planned Parenthood organization, a move the Republican governor ordered after the release of secretly recorded videos by an anti-abortion group. The ruling from U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups reversed an earlier decision temporarily ordering the money to keep flowing to the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. (Price, 12/22)
The funding is a fraction of Planned Parenthood’s $8 million budget in Utah, though organization officials have maintained that the funding is crucial and that Gov. Gary Herbert is trying to advance his own political agenda. Herbert announced this summer that he would be ending state contracts with Planned Parenthood after anti-abortion activists released undercover video footage that they say proves the organization was illegally profiting from fetal tissue donations. (Ferris, 12/22)
At the request of Republican senators, the inspector general's office of the Department of Health and Human Services has launched a review of how federal officials oversee fetal tissue research — a subject in the spotlight since the release of undercover videos targeting Planned Parenthood. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who initiated the request, said Tuesday that the audit would cover all fetal tissue research supported by HHS grants and would examine how the agency enforced compliance with relevant federal laws. (12/22)
Sen. Rand Paul touted a victory on Tuesday in Republicans' war against Planned Parenthood, announcing the administration would audit grants for fetal tissue research. The presidential hopeful this month got a response from the Department of Health and Human Services to a letter he and 34 other senators sent this fall calling for an investigation. (Kopan, 12/22)
And in Texas, Planned Parenthood is dropped from an HIV prevention program —
Amid an ongoing battle over Planned Parenthood’s participation in the state Medicaid program, Texas health officials are cutting off funding to a Planned Parenthood affiliate for an HIV prevention program. In a notice received by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast late Monday, an official with the Department of State Health Services informed the Houston-based provider that it would not renew its contract for HIV prevention services. (Ura, 12/22)
