Transcript does pnhp support abortion access?

ABORTION ACCESS and
PNHP
Linda Prine MD
Kelita Fox MD
Erin Hendriks MD
Linda Prine MD
The Recent Supreme Court
(From Left) Fatimah
Gifford, Amy Hagstrom
Miller, Andrea Ferrigno,
of Whole Woman’s
Health on the Steps of
the Supreme Court
http://rewire.news/photos/2016/06/29/steps-supreme-court-whole-womans-health-v-hellerstedt/
The Current Climate
http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2016/04/women_rally_to_protest_against_donald_trump_in_pla.html
State Law Abortion Restrictions
https://www.guttmacher.org/laws-affecting-reproductive-health-and-rights-2013-state-policy-review
State Law Abortion Restrictions
Examples
• Must be performed in a
hospital
• Second physician must
participate
• Provider may refuse to
participate
• Must be performed at a
hospital
• Must be performed by
OB/GYN
• “Partial Birth Abortion”
Banned
• Mandated counseling on
– Breast Cancer links
– Fetal pain
– Negative psychological effects
• Funding prohibited except
in cases of life or physical
health endangerment
State Law Abortion Restrictions
• Mandatory waiting period after counseling
can range from 18–72hrs
– AL, AZ, AR, GA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO,
NE, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, WV, WI
• Parental involvement required for minors in
– AL, AZ, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA,
MD, MA, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NC, ND, OH,
OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, WV, WI, WY
November 2009
• Single payer vs Abortion bait and switch in the
house
• House leadership tells single payer supporters
that the single payer amendment would be
swamped with immigration and abortion
provisions that would kill health care reform:
Weiner and Kucinich’s bill is withdrawn, the
next day anti-abortion amendment is
introduced and passed
Hyde Amendment:
Prohibits any federal funding for abortion,
which affects:
• Women on Medicaid
• Women in armed services
• Women on disability
• Women in the Peace Corps
• Native Americans
• Women getting care in federally funded
hospitals
NO Federal Money for Abortion
• 1976 Hyde Amendment first passed
• Hyde Amendment tacked onto yearly
appropriations bill for health care funding
• 2010: Stupak-Pitts was not attached to ACA
when it passed the Senate, the deal being that
Obama agreed to issue an executive order to
add Hyde language to ACA
Hyde ripples out
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
includes Hyde language –
covers children up to age 19
Hyde ripples out
• Americorps Program through NACHC shut
down as punishment for health workers who
were providing “comfort measures” to women
having abortions
• Language in Americorps funding prohibits
abortion counseling, referrals and
appointment making
More about Hyde
• 17 States fund abortion with state Medicaid
• Hyde disproportionately affects women of
color
• 2016 is the first year the Democratic Party
platform took a stand against Hyde
Is there a PNHP precedent?
• Mental Health care coverage is supported
by PNHP single payer plan
• Long term care coverage is supported by
single payer plan
• Prescription Drug coverage supported
Religiously Affiliated Hospitals
• Now account for 20% of all US Hospitals
• Prevent physicians from prescribing
contraceptives, irrespective of the MD’s
religion or the patients’ religion
• Affect medical school education and
pharmacy school education
• Religiously affiliated insurance plans now
also can refuse to cover birth control
(Hobby Lobby decision)
What is PNHP’s stance on Abortion?
• Discussion on PNHP blog about end-of-life
care and abortion – both restricted in Catholic
affiliated hospitals, but no organizational
support
• No official position to be found on PHNP
website
• Other similar issues embraced: long term care,
psychiatric care, better prescription drug plan
Racial Disparities 2014
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Abortion patients 39% white
28% Black
25% Hispanic
6% Asian or Pacific Islander
3% other
Race is likely a proxy for income – poor
women have more abortions
Other Facts
• One out of 3 women in the US has an abortion
in her lifetime
• Abortion is the most common medical
procedure done on women
• Abortion could be a simple primary care
service with mifepristone (RU486, the
“abortion pill”)
• Early abortions are medically much safer
Missed Opportunity
• Failure to ally with the reproductive rights
movement hurts us: Colorado Care example
• Reproductive Rights movement fell in with
Obamacare and the the ACA, very unfortunate