The Supreme Court issued a stay in the Texas mifepristone case on Friday, April 21, pressing the “pause” button on the recent lower court decisions and allowing mifepristone to remain available pending a full appeal. Although this is welcome news, it is frightening that Americans came so close to losing access to this safe, effective medication — and may yet still.
As we celebrate Earth Day and reflect on the steps we can all take to protect our planet, it’s important to highlight that climate change doesn’t impact everyone equally. Decades of racist policies – from housing to infrastructure to economic policies – often restricted low-income communities and communities of color to areas with more environmental hazards and heavy pollution.
The Supreme Court initially gave itself a deadline of Wednesday to decide whether women seeking access to a widely used abortion pill would face more restrictions while a court case plays out. But on the day of the highly anticipated decision the justices had only this to say: We need more time. In a one-sentence order, the court said it now expects to act by Friday evening.
“Twice as many independent abortion clinics have closed so far in 2022 compared to the year before as facilities shutteredin the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision this year to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to an association for independent abortion care providers.”
“Each year since 1973, abortion rights activists have gathered on Jan. 22 for “Roe v. Wade Day” to celebrate the Supreme Court decision that granted a constitutional right to abortion. But now, 50 years after the decision, Roe v. Wade Day will be different: Sunday will also mark the first anniversary of Roe since the ruling was overturned.”
In an effort to support expanding access to birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act, the National Partnership joined others across the movement in reproductive health, rights, and justice in a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
A federal judge in Texas struck down a provision of the Affordable Care Act that required coverage for a range of preventive services — including for cancer screenings, medications and more…
“Nine months after the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to an abortion, the landscape is far from settled, with lawmakers considering broader bans or stronger protections and legal challenges popping up nationwide. It’s been a hectic week for abortion policy with Republican-dominated states seeking to tighten restrictions, Democratic lawmakers trying to protect abortion access – and court fights playing out on multiple fronts.”
“Over the course of about four hours of arguments, a federal judge in Texas asked questions that suggested he is seriously considering undoing the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a medication abortion drug and the agency’s moves to relax the rules around its use. But the judge, US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, also indicated he was thinking through scenarios in which he could keep the drug’s 2000 approval intact while blocking other FDA rules.”
“Zurawski v. Texas, a new lawsuit announced Tuesday, March 7, marks the first time patients directly affected by abortion laws have sought to challenge them in court.”
“A judge is poised to rule in a case that seeks to revoke the approval of the most common, safe and effective abortion pill regimen, with the potential for consequences to be felt in every state.”
“Governors supporting abortion rights are forming a new coalition aimed at expanding and protecting access to the procedure, according to details shared with The Health 202.”
“The future of medication abortions across the U.S.—even in states with few abortion restrictions—is on the line.”
More than 20 years ago, the FDA approved the drug mifepristone, a safe and effective pill used in medication abortions. Today, abortion pills are the most common way to terminate early pregnancy, but an unprecedented case before a federal judge in Texas threatens access to this vital medication and could have dire consequences for bodily autonomy and freedom of choice nationwide – even in states where abortion is protected.
“President Joe Biden used the word “abortion” — one he has rarely uttered in speeches —in his brief remarks on the issue in his State of the Union address on Tuesday.”
“The Biden administration is weighing additional actions to help people access abortions, which may include a public health emergency declaration.”
“A company that makes an abortion pill filed a lawsuit Wednesday morning challenging the constitutionality of a state ban on the medication, one in what is expected to be a wave of cases arguing that the federal Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the pill takes precedence over such restrictive state laws. “
Vice President of Health Justice Sinsi Hernández-Cancio was a guest on Health Care Payment Learning & Action Network’s Spotlight on Action podcast to talk about moving the health care system towards one that effectively cares for every single person in this country – with dignity, excellence and respect.
“House Republicans addressed abortion Wednesday for the first time in their new role controlling the chamber, passing two pieces of legislation with their razor-thin majority. The votes come after the reversal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court last summer, which factored heavily into voter behavior in the November midterms, particularly in states where abortion issues were on the ballot.”
“The US Food and Drug Administration is allowing certified pharmacies to dispense the abortion medication mifepristone to people who have a prescription. Mifepristone can be used along with another medication, misoprostol, to end a pregnancy. Previously, these pills could be ordered, prescribed and dispensed only by a certified health-care provider.”
