Health Care — Abortion rates continue to climb

Click in for more news from The Hill

View Online Health Care Health Care The Big Story  Abortions continue to rise since Roe's overturning  There were more abortions in the first quarter of 2024 than in the same period the year prior, falling in line with the trend of the rate of abortions increasing despite the Dobbs decision of 2022.  © AP The national monthly number of in-person abortions from January to March 2024 was about the same as in that period in 2023, meaning the increase was mostly driven by telehealth abortions, according to the report from the #WeCount project of the Society of Family Planning.    Telehealth abortions represent 20 percent of all abortions nationally, and shield laws have played a major role. Six states have enacted laws that provide legal protections to clinicians who offer telehealth abortion care to people in states that have abortion or telehealth bans.      In the nine months from July 2023 to March 2024, more than 65,000 people in states with total bans, six-week bans or telehealth restrictions have accessed medication abortion provided under shield laws, the report found.    The report noted that in January of this year the number of monthly total of abortions exceeded 100,000 for the first since #WeCount began in April 2022.    "Even as we see the increase in abortion volume nationally, the burden on an individual living in a state with an abortion ban is enormous, especially if they need in-person abortion care," said Alison Norris, #WeCount Co-Chair.    The survey found that the number of in-person abortions fell to nearly zero in the 14 states that ban abortion in all stages of pregnancy.      The report comes ahead of the November elections, in which Democrats across the country are campaigning on abortion rights, and some voters in red and blue states alike will have the opportunity to enshrine state-level abortion protections.  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: Fewer Americans now view childhood vaccines as important: Gallup Fewer U.S. adults today say it is important to get children vaccinated than in recent years, according to a Gallup poll published Wednesday. In the July survey, only 40 percent of U.S. adults said it is "extremely important" for parents to vaccinate their children, a marked decline from the 58 percent who said the same in 2019 and the 64 percent who said the same in 2001. The drop over the last two decades is similarly stark …  Full Story Oklahoma asks Supreme Court to block HHS from stripping federal planning grants over abortion ban Oklahoma is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from stripping the state of federal family-planning grants because officials refuse to refer pregnant women to abortion counseling services.  The state on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to intervene after the Tenth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in July that HHS was allowed to withhold funding because the state did …  Full Story Alabama IVF clinics ask Supreme Court to take up appeal of state ruling Two Alabama reproductive health clinics at the center of a legal and political firestorm over in vitro fertilization (IVF) are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up their case.  In their petition, the Center for Reproductive Medicine and the Mobile Infirmary Health asked the court to find that the case should have been dismissed from the outset, because the initial plaintiffs had no standing to sue.  They also said the ruling …  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read: Air pollution can cause mood swings, in different ways for different people: Study Exposure to air pollution is fueling fluctuations in mood among many Americans, but precisely how these emotional responses take shape varies greatly from individual to individual, a new study has found. Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: First human case of West Nile virus in MA confirmed in Hampden County (WWLP)  Mississippi has more rural emergency hospitals than any other state. Can the 'lifeline' program save rural health care? (Mississippi Today)  In Montana, 911 calls reveal hidden impact of heat waves on rural seniors (NPR/KFF Health News)  What We're Reading  Health news we've flagged from other outlets: WHO to convene emergency committee to assess international risk from mpox outbreak (Reuters)  Small-town patients face big hurdles as rural hospitals cut cancer care (KFF Health News)  The dreaded COVID summer surge has arrived. Here's the latest on symptoms and treatment (Fortune)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: Vance hits Walz over military service Sen. JD Vance (Ohio), the GOP vice presidential nominee, criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), Vice President Harris's running mate, over his military … Read more Carville: Vance doesn't want to get 'within 50 miles' of Walz Democratic strategist James Carville said Tuesday he doesn't think Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), former President Trump's running mate, wants to get "within … Read more   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.

If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.