Latest news with #Roe
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Repro rights lobby eyes ways to shield medical records, prescriptions
BOSTON (SHNS) – Scouring for ways to fortify a 2022 law, reproductive care providers and supporters are advising lawmakers to tighten protections around electronic medical records, omit certain information in a prescription monitoring database, and modify prescription labels. The Legislature passed the abortion and gender-identity shield law soon after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, with the aim of protecting providers and patients, including those traveling to Massachusetts for care, from out-of-state-legal action. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed that law in July 2022. But with President Donald Trump back in the White House House and restrictions on abortion access — including emergency abortion care — escalating across the country, Massachusetts Democrats have shown a heightened interest in revisiting the shield law to address what some see as lingering threats. 'Though the Attorney General's Office believes firmly in the strength of our shield law and stands ready to defend it should the need arise, we recognize that the national landscape has shifted since its original passage, and that there are gaps in the shield law that urgently need to be closed to ensure Massachusetts providers and patients are protected,' Allyson Slater, director of the office's reproductive justice unit, told the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy on Wednesday . 'By way of example, we know that states like Texas and Louisiana have initiated civil and criminal cases against a shield law provider in New York. We're watching these cases closely,' Slater continued. 'Further, Project 2025 has called for increased surveillance of abortion, weaponizing state data collected by states to further restrict and undercut access to this care, even in states that protect it.' While the Senate committee hearing did not focus on an explicit piece of legislation, discussion closely hovered around a bill (S 2522) that chair Sen. Cindy Friedman filed with AG Andrea Campbell in mid-April to install additional protections around reproductive and transgender care. Friedman, who helped author the original shield law, was named this year to helm efforts by Senate Democrats to respond to the Trump administration. Friedman told the News Service her colleagues were interested in hearing about the 'content of the bill, which is around making sure that we do everything we can to protect legally sanctioned health care in this commonwealth, and it's especially being attacked around reproductive health and gender-affirming care.' Asked about areas where the shield law has fallen short, the Arlington Democrat said, 'The law has worked out.' 'There's more to be done,' Friedman said. 'For instance, around prescribing and realizing now a doctor's name is on a bottle for mifepristone, and that's something that somebody who's out to get that doctor can get access to.' Putting the name of the provider's practice on the label, rather than the specific prescriber, adds a 'critical layer of anonymity for providers,' said Claire Teylouni, senior director of policy and programs at Reproductive Equity Now. Echoing Slater's warning, Teylouni also invoked Dr. Maggie Carpenter, the New York doctor facing a hefty penalty from Texas and a felony charge from Louisiana for prescribing medication abortion. 'We can act now to hopefully prevent any Massachusetts provider from also being identified with their personal information on a prescription,' Teylouni said. Friedman's proposal blocks state agencies from cooperating with or providing information for federal or out-of-state investigations into legally protected health care activities here. It also curtails the sharing of electronic medical records with out-of-state entities, and blocks insurance companies from discriminating against nonprofits that provide reproductive and gender-identity care. According to Senate President Karen Spilka's office, the bill also requires hospitals to provide emergency services to 'any person who presents at the hospital or is brought to the hospital by emergency medical services.' Slater said this provision stems from the federal government's unwillingness to enforce the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, given the Justice Department's decision to drop its case challenging Idaho's abortion ban and refusal to abide by EMTALA. Slater said the existing prohibition on law enforcement cooperating with out-of-state or federal investigations should be extended to all state and local agencies. Campbell's office also needs 'explicit authority' to enforce the shield law, Slater said. 'The 2022 shield law was silent, in particular respect, with the attorney general's enforcement mechanisms, with respect to certain provisions, ' Slater said. 'I think our office's recommendation would be to create explicit in the statute the fact that the attorney general could enforce certain mechanisms and certain protections, so that anytime the shield law was invoked, we would be notified and we would be in a position to defend and work with the providers or the patients that were subject to the shield law.' Gavi Wolfe, legislative director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, urged senators to impose new limits on the Massachusetts Prescription Monitoring Program. To raise awareness among prescribers, the system tracks drugs that come with a risk of abuse or potential for psychological or physiological dependence. In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton has used information from the state's monitoring program to sue physicians for prescribing gender-identity medications, Wolfe said. 'Let's make sure that our state Prescription Monitoring Program can't be used by the feds to go after reproductive or gender-affirming care,' Wolfe said. 'The Prescription Monitoring Program was established to prevent abuse of prescription drugs, especially opioids, but there's no reason that medications related to reproductive health and gender-affirming care need to be included in its vast database and made vulnerable to prying eyes.' Aiming to curtail access to another trove of information, providers and advocates urged lawmakers to improve privacy protections around sensitive electronic medical records. With most Massachusetts hospital systems using the same platform, called Epic, people's medical histories can be easily accessed. That information could become potentially harmful in the wrong hands, said Dr. Megan Evans, an OB-GYN representing the Massachusetts Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 'Although this is helpful in accessing prior notes and labs to add to a patient's history or better understand their disease, it can also detail a patient's abortion procedure, IVF, or gender-affirming care, even if received in another state,' Evans said. 'When seeking care, patients may unknowingly provide consent for access to this information, or providers with malintent may say a patient provided consent for medical records when they may not have or may not have fully understood what they were consenting to.' Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, who pointed to past efforts to develop a streamlined, common platform like Epic, asked how the system could be adapted to address mounting privacy concerns. Evans said providers could make certain records 'protected,' which would require future providers to secure 'specific consent' from their patients before they can access the information. Medical records dealing with behavioral health care, HIV testing and genetic testing already require 'explicit consent' from patients before they can be released, added Dr. Chloe Zera, a Boston-based maternal fetal medicine physician. 'I'm not too concerned that it can be done technologically,' Friedman told Tarr. 'I would worry how it's done, because as we know, electronic health records have been both a good thing and a bad thing, and we don't want to add to the confusion. But you raise a really good point.' Ahead of the hearing, practicing and studying obstetricians and gynecologists pressed for stronger abortion protections and access to care, and shared support for Friedman's bill. The Senate referred Friedman's bill to the Health Care Financing Committee, which Friedman chairs, on April 14. The House non-concurred with that action Tuesday and sent the bill to the Judiciary Committee. On Thursday, the Senate receded with its referral and also sent the bill to the Judiciary Committee. Senate members of the Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity earlier this month favorably reported out Sen. Cindy Creem's location shield law (S 197). The bill would also tighten abortion protections by blocking the sale of location data to third parties. Friedman said Creem's bill is part of the 'whole package' of abortion protections. 'If people are selling your data, if they're tracking you, if we don't have any privacy, then we're just adding burdens to people who are providing legally protected care and getting legally protected care,' Friedman told the News Service. Physicians and students also advocated for the location shield bill, which in the House is sponsored by Reps. Lipper-Garabedian and David Vieira (H 86). Lipper-Garabedian said that in 2023, more than 171,000 women traveled out of state to seek reproductive health care, with many getting care in Massachusetts. 'We know this in part because a federal investigation last year revealed that a data brokerage firm tracked interstate travel visits to Planned Parenthood clinics in 48 states, including here in Massachusetts, and then sold that data to the largest anti-abortion campaign in the country,' said Lipper-Garabedian (D-Melrose). 'Patients deserve privacy and dignity in making deeply personal health care decisions,' she added. 'Providers like you, who dedicate your lives to delivering life saving care, deserve to do so without fear and interference.' [Ella Adams contributed reporting.] Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
DEA Houston warns of synthetic opioid hitting Houston and surrounding areas
The Brief DEA Houston warns of the synthetic opioid Nitazene, saying it's 25% more potent than fentanyl. DEA Houston says they have seen a major increase in overdoses and seizures in the last year. A mother who lost her son to fentanyl is advocating for change and shares her message for families. HOUSTON - The Houston field office for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is putting out a serious and stern warning about a synthetic drug called Nitazene that's leading to seizures and overdoses in teens and adults. What they're saying The DEA says Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Brazoria County have all been impacted by Nitazene, which is 25% more potent than fentanyl. Special Agent William Kimbell with the DEA says Nitazene, a killer synthetic drug, has been in our area since 2022. "In the last year, we've become more and more concerned because our number of seizures have gone up in between November and February of this year. We have had a 15% increase of overdoses from Nitazene in Houston," said Special Agent Kimbell. "Nitazene is a typical opioid. It suppresses your breathing, it suppresses your blood pressure, and your body is so suppressed, you can't breathe anymore." Special Agent Kimbell says the drug is impacting people in a wide age range. "We've seen overdoses now from the ages of 17 to 59, so really. If you are buying a pill from someone you don't know, or you are using a pill that you don't know where it came from, it could have Ntazene in it and it's extremely dangerous," said Special Agent Kimbell, "Its synthetic route is very hard to make, and you need lab experience, but we are seeing Nitazene that are made in China, and they are purchased online and smuggled into the US in parcels, and locally, we are seeing drug gangs take fentanyl and Nitazene and pressing it into a what looks like a prescription drug." Why you should care Special Agent Kimbell says Nitazene can be purchased online, using a smartphone. He says, sadly, that's how many kids are getting their hands on it. "We are seeing kids carry that – they can reach a drug dealer that is carrying this type of drug instantly," he said. "Within minutes you can tuck your kids in bed, and they can get on social media, and they can have that stuff delivered to their house." Local perspective Stephanie Roe, who lost her son Tucker at 19 to fentanyl in 2021, has a warning to families and raising awareness through Texas Against Fentanyl. "I watched this come into his life and be introduced as an adolescent, and he couldn't beat it. Ultimately, he used again after his treatment and that resulted in his death," said Roe," Nitazene are incredibly lethal. They have been found to be 20 times stronger than Fentanyl. Roe says it's important for families to talk to their kids and learn more about drug addiction, adding there is a real stigma that needs to be talked about. "The drug demographic is unlike anything we have seen before and these are highly addictive chemicals," Roe said," "You don't think it will happen to our child if you asked me if I would be someone who would lose a child" I would say no way, but the reality is there is no demographic here, its impacting so many people because there is a lack of education and awareness." The Source FOX 26 reporter Leslie DelasBour spoke with Special Agent William Kimbell of the Houston Drug Enforcement Agency and Stephanie Roe, who lost her son to a fentanyl overdose.
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
Target, Walmart offer controversial birth control product
While any woman will tell you that birth control is a hassle when it comes to remembering to take your pill on time, for those of us not ready or interested in having a child, it's irreplaceable. While birth control has been around since the FDA approved the pill in 1960, the topic is a fraught one in today's America, where many voices believe it should not be available or used at all. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Project 2025, the much-discussed political initiative authored by The Heritage Foundation and designed for a second term of President Donald Trump, contains a detailed agenda on abortion, designed to prevent it to the greatest extent possible. One thing the plan focuses on is eliminating the sales of mifepristone, a medication used to terminate early pregnancies. The plan also aims to dismantle U.S. abortion access, restrict the use of federal funds for abortion care and coverage, and dismantle the abortion protections provided under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), forcing abortion doctors to choose between saving a patient's life or being faced with criminal charges. Related: How This Doctor Started Her Own Birth Control Delivery Business In short, should Project 2025 graduate from roadmap to reality, American women in need of an abortion may find themselves in an even more difficult situation than the current one. Since the 2022 rollback of Roe v. Wade, 11 states have made abortion illegal, including Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Tennessee. Emergency contraception deserts, as they're called, are popping up all over America, and misinformation about abortion care continues to worsen in the current political climate. But women's health advocates are actively working on a plan that makes access to the morning-after pill easier for those who need it. As thousands of drugstore locations continue to shutter due to rising costs, increased competition and shrinking reimbursement rates, they've become an unreliable place to find a morning-after pill if you're looking for one. Cadence OTC, an Oakland-based company that makes an emergency contraception pill, has focused on getting its product in a new location to make it even more accessible: convenience stores. To accomplish this, the company forged a partnership with Lil' Drug Store Products, which is the U.S. supplier of health products to convenience stores. So far, 11,000 locations across 48 states carry the product, which can be purchased over the counter and does not require a prescription. Related: Levi Strauss Calls Abortion Access a 'Critical Business Issue.' Here's Why. "Urgent health care products are a logical expansion space for C-stores, and the profit margins are generally higher than [for] food and soft drinks," Cadence told UPI in an interview. "Ninety percent of C-stores already carry condoms, so it makes sense to offer female contraceptives as well." Plan B, another morning-after pill that uses levonorgestrel to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, can also be found at a variety of retailers, including Walmart, Target, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS Pharmacy. Ever since the 2022 ruling of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that allowed states to enact local abortion bans, a rise in misinformation has left many women in need of abortion care confused and unsure of what to do. There's a growing confusion around the differences among levonorgestrel, mifepristone, and misoprostol, with many people believing that all three induce medical abortions. The morning-after pill uses levonorgestrel, which is a synthetic hormone that prevents the release of the egg that would normally lead to pregnancy. Half of women between the ages of 18-49 either believe the morning-after pill is illegal in their state or are "unsure," according to a 2023 poll from health policy research organization KFF. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Abortion Appointments Suddenly Canceled After Missouri Court Ruling
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri canceled abortion appointments after the state's Supreme Court reinstated an abortion ban on Tuesday. Why It Matters The Missouri Supreme Court's ruling abruptly reversed a temporary restoration of abortion rights in the state that followed voters' decision to enshrine them into the constitution last year. Reproductive rights remain a critical legal and political issue across the country after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that guaranteed abortion rights in each state, in 2022. Missouri, like other Republican-led states, banned most abortions following the ruling, but voters backed an amendment to legalize the procedure last November. What To Know The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that District Court Judge Jerri Zhang used the wrong standard in December and February rulings that allowed abortions to resume in the state, the Associated Press reported. The court ordered her to reevaluate the case using new standards, including whether there would be harm if abortions were able to continue. This resulted in abortion care appointments being canceled at clinics in Columbia and Kansas City, Emily Wales, the CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, told Newsweek. She said Wednesday that patients were not being seen on Tuesday, so no one had to stop care, but that they did have to call patients who were set to receive abortion care in the coming days. Planned Parenthood is working to help them see providers in Illinois or Kansas, where abortion remains legal. "Unfortunately, we've been really skilled at having those conversations in Missouri. Even before the Dobbs decision, care was intermittent because of political interference for years," she said. Reproductive rights protesters demonstrate at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2024. Reproductive rights protesters demonstrate at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2024. JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images However, going out of state is not always doable for residents who are unable to secure child care or take time off work, she said, adding that unless care is local, it is "not accessible to everyone." She said Planned Parenthood has already filed a letter seeking a new injunction. Zhang earlier ordered an injunction blocking some regulations on abortion she found to be "unnecessary" and "discriminatory" against abortion providers, The Missouri Independent reported. The constitutional amendment narrowly passed Missouri voters last November by about 3 percentage points, even as President Donald Trump carried the state by 18 points. Planned Parenthood soon after sued over other laws it believed were restricting abortion access in the state. The ruling was celebrated by conservatives who do not support abortion. Sam Lee, director of Campaign Life Missouri, told the Associated Press that he was "extremely excited" about the ruling. "This means that our pro-life laws, which include many health and safety protections for women, will remain in place," he said. What People Are Saying Emily Wales, the CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, told Newsweek: "It is easy to be frustrated and to feel like your voices are unheard by the legislature and politicians in the state right now. People in Missouri were able to vote on abortion access. We demanded that they have a right to get private medical care without government interference, yet here we are." Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, wrote in a statement: "Today's decision from the Missouri Supreme Court is a win for women and children and sends a clear message – abortion providers must comply with state law regarding basic safety and sanitation requirements." What Happens Next Zhang will now review the case under the more rigorous standard mandated by the Missouri Supreme Court. Earlier this year, Missouri lawmakers passed a 2026 referendum that would give voters the chance to repeal the amendment passed by voters last year.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Missouri Supreme Court Halts Abortion Access, Defying Will Of The Voters
The Missouri Supreme Court has halted abortion access in the state for now, upending a constitutional amendment that voters put in place last year and delivering a 'devastating' setback for patients in need of immediate abortion care, reproductive rights advocates say. The state's highest court ruled Tuesday that a district judge must vacate her two recent rulings issuing preliminary injunctions protecting abortion rights, which were reinstated by voters last November following a 2022 ban in the wake of the fall of Roe v. Wade. 'This latest attack by the Missouri Supreme Court is unconstitutional, unconscionable, and downright dirty politics,' Mini Timmaraju, the president of Reproductive Freedom for All, said in reacting to the ruling. 'It is devastating for people across the country to know that even if they organize, vote, and pass measures to protect their reproductive care, extreme GOP actors will still try to take away our constitutional rights.' The Missouri Supreme Court's ruling hinges on its conclusion that District Judge Jerri Zhang used the wrong standard to make her decisions. When she determined in December that the state's near-total abortion ban was unenforceable, then in February struck down licensing requirements and regulations for abortion clinics, calling them 'unnecessary' and 'discriminatory,' she concluded that abortion rights advocates were likely to prevail in their larger, ongoing battle with the state over abortion access. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled this week that Zhang should have first considered whether allowing abortions to continue would cause any harms. The decision gives Zhang the chance to revisit the cases and reissue her rulings. But for now, patients in need of abortions in Missouri will have to leave the state for care. 'This decision puts our state back under a de facto abortion ban and is devastating for Missourians and the providers they trust with their personal health care decisions,' Emily Wales and Margot Riphagen, the presidents of Planned Parenthood's Great Plains and Great Rivers branches, respectively, said in a joint statement. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey celebrated the ruling, calling it a 'win for women and children.' Bailey was able to challenge Zhang's rulings because of the state's newly passed Senate Bill 22, the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center noted in a press release last week. The legislation allows the Missouri attorney general to appeal preliminary injunctions that block his office from enforcing an existing law. Tuesday's ruling is the latest development in Missouri's ongoing legal battle over abortion. In November, it became the first state where voters used a ballot measure to overturn an existing, sweeping abortion ban ― triggering legal challenges from the state's Republican-controlled government. And earlier this month, state Republicans passed a referendum to put abortion back on the ballot. The proposed amendment will likely appear before voters in November 2026, though it's possible Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe could call for a special election sooner. RFK Jr. Says He's Exploring A Crackdown On This Perfectly Safe Medication 2 Of Trump's Court Picks Argued Abortion Pill 'Starves The Baby To Death' In Womb Georgia Abortion Law Forces Brain-Dead Woman To Stay On Life Support For Months
