Health Care — Lawsuit seeks clarity on abortion limit

Presented by Kidney Care Access Coalition — South Carolina's law bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected.

View Online Health Care Health Care PRESENTED BY  The Big Story  Lawsuit demands South Carolina clarify abortion ban A woman who said she had to leave South Carolina to obtain an abortion is asking a court to clarify whether the ban tied to a fetal heartbeat applies after six or nine weeks of pregnancy. © AP South Carolina's law bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected. While cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasounds around six weeks into pregnancy, the lawsuit filed in state circuit court on Monday argues the court should interpret the South Carolina law to mean nine weeks.   The law does not give an exact week at which abortion is banned, instead prohibiting it when a "fetal heartbeat" can be detected. It defines "heartbeat" as "cardiac activity, or the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart, within the gestational sac."    The lawsuit, filed by Taylor Shelton and Planned Parenthood South Atlantic's chief medical officer, argues there is ambiguity about whether the state bans abortion at the detection of the earliest embryonic electrical activity — which is usually six weeks of pregnancy, as dated from a patient's last menstrual period — or at the point when the heart forms, after approximately nine weeks of pregnancy.    But Republicans in the state legislature have argued six weeks is the standard definition and that even Planned Parenthood attorneys have referred to the law using that language.      The South Carolina Supreme Court last summer upheld the ban after striking down a similar version earlier in the year. The justices later declined to take up Planned Parenthood's request to clarify how far along in a pregnancy an abortion can be legally performed.    In upholding the ban, the state Supreme Court majority wrote that they were leaving "for another day" a decision on when specifically fetal heartbeat can be detected, and whether or not the definition refers to the point at which a fetal heart has been formed.    According to Planned Parenthood, Shelton is the first named individual to file a lawsuit directly challenging abortion restrictions outside of the context of medical exceptions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.  Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: Global cancer cases expected to increase 77 percent by 2050: WHO report The World Health Organization expects global cancer cases to increase 77 percent by 2050, according to a new report from the U.N. agency. The data released Friday by the organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), examined 2022 data for over 185 countries and 36 forms of cancer. IARC found that 10 types of cancer made up two-thirds of the world's new cases and deaths in 2022. Lung cancer was the most …  Full Story CDC relaunches anti-smoking ad campaign with focus on menthol The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday relaunched an anti-smoking ad campaign, with a particular focus on the dangers of menthol cigarettes.   Many of this year's ads shown as part of the "Tips From Former Smokers" campaign include messaging about the harms of menthol cigarettes.  The "Tips" campaign initially ran from 2012-18 and features messages from people living with serious long-term health effects …  Full Story Quaker Oats recalls yet another granola bar, warns of possible 'salmonella contamination' (WKBN) – The Quaker Oats Company announced Wednesday that it has expanded a nationwide recall of its granola bars. The company now says its Quaker Chewy Dipps Llama Rama, which were discontinued in Sept. 2023, have been added to a list of previously recalled products. The reason, as listed by Quaker, is potential “salmonella contamination.” The affected products bear "best before" dates of February 10 or 11, 2024. …  Full Story On Our Radar  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: The House Oversight Committee meets Tuesday to mark up several bills, including one on pharmacy benefit manager regulation   The House Ways and Means Committee holds a hearing Tuesday about chronic drug shortages  A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Tuesday will examine "shortcomings" in FDA's foreign drug inspection program   A MESSAGE FROM KIDNEY CARE ACCESS COALITION Dialysis patients and their families are being harmed. A new bipartisan bill will restore essential protections – for patients and their families.   Congress: pass H.R. 6860, the bipartisan Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act. Learn more  In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: A Chicago children's hospital has taken its networks offline after a cyberattack CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago children’s hospital has been forced to take its networks offline after an unspecified cyberattack, limiting access to medical records and hampering communication by phone or email since the middle of last week. The situation at Lurie Children’s Hospital had all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack, … Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: Ohio AG Dave Yost doesn't want judge to overturn fetal 'heartbeat' law just yet (Cleveland.com)  Is housing health care? State Medicaid programs increasingly say 'yes' (KFF Health News/CNN)  Tennessee law denied Allie Phillips an abortion. So she's now running for office (NPR)  What We're Reading  Health news we've flagged from other outlets: Juul spent big to court Black leaders to promote its e-cigarettes, new documents show (Stat)  Users of new weight loss drug had lower blood pressure in study (The New York Times)  How the anti-vaccine movement is downplaying the danger of measles (NBC News)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: Former federal prosecutor says he's 'officially' freaking out about Trump Jan. 6 case Former Acting U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal expressed alarm Sunday over how former President Trump’s federal case on charges related to … Read more Powell: 'The US is on an unsustainable fiscal path' Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said "the U.S. is on an unsustainable fiscal path" in a “60 Minutes” interview with Scott Pelley released … Read more What People Think  Opinion related to health submitted to The Hill: Canadian drugs can't soothe America's healthcare pains    You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Health Care page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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