from States Newsroom
|
By Elisha Brown |
“These are conversations that you should be having with your medical professional and not the government mandating you to do one thing or another.”
— Lana’e Hernandez, Florida Access Network case manager
Under its current guidelines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not require in-person visits, waiting periods or ultrasounds for patients seeking abortion pills, but 10 states without total abortion bans still require them. (Photo by Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)
The results of the federal drug authority’s review of mifepristone won’t come until after the midterm elections. In the meantime, abortion foes are pushing more states to require that pregnant women visit a doctor’s office, get an ultrasound or wait at least 24 hours before getting an abortion.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t impose any of those requirements at the national level, but 10 states without total abortion bans do require them, Stateline’s Sofia Resnick reports.
Abortion-rights advocates say ultrasounds and other state regulations strain people seeking abortions, especially those in states with six-week abortion bans.
“I see a lot of clients having to then travel out of state and take even more time off of work, adding another barrier to accessing care because of those laws combined.” said Lana’e Hernandez, a case manager for the Florida Access Network, an abortion fund.
Abortion opponents argue that ultrasounds are necessary to diagnose ectopic pregnancies, which occur when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus.
“Requiring a healthcare provider to confirm, locate, and date a pregnancy before prescribing a dangerous mixture of abortion-inducing drugs is a bare-minimum safety standard, and we believe it should apply in every state,” said Ingrid Duran, director of state legislation for the National Right to Life Committee.
THE POD
Next on our Stories From The States podcast: National scrutiny on mail ballots changed Utah’s elections system
All Utah voters have automatically received a mail ballot since 2020. The reliably red state had championed universal mail voting. However, with voting under greater national scrutiny, Utah legislators rolled back universal mail voting.
Although President Donald Trump recently urged voters to cast their ballots by mail, he has long attacked mail voting, claiming without evidence that it is a source of election fraud.
THE BEAT
Research suggests women living in states with abortion bans bear higher health insurance costs
Women practice yoga during a community exercise class in Tulsa, Okla., in 2021. Researchers found an association between higher out-of-pocket health insurance costs and states with abortion bans, with data showing differences were even higher for Black and Hispanic women. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
New preliminary research from the University of Michigan shows women living in states with post-Dobbs abortion bans may be more likely to shoulder costs for employer-sponsored health insurance premiums, with federal data reflecting a 5.4% increase in annual premium expenditures for those women after 2022, when most abortion bans went into effect.
The study used national data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019-2025 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement to compare individual medical out-of-pocket costs for women of reproductive age between 18 and 44. The study, which hasn’t yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, received financial support from the Center for Reproductive Rights, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
“State abortion bans were associated with an increase in women’s likelihood of paying out-of-pocket for health insurance premiums,” the study said.
The findings also showed even higher premium expenditures for Black and Hispanic women, at 12.8% and 13.7%, respectively. The findings were not present among men, and the majority of the women in the sample had incomes above 250% of the federal poverty level.
Same crew.
Same great reporting.
Now twice a week.
Reproductive Rights Today hits your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
THE PULSE
SC: South Carolina gubernatorial candidates say state’s abortion ban shouldn’t go further | SC Daily Gazette
WI: Wisconsin Democratic nominee for governor calls for constitutional amendment on abortion rights | Wisconsin Examiner
OH: Access to abortion care is improving in Ohio, but opponents continue efforts against it | Ohio Capital Journal
US: The fall of Roe changed doctors. Now they’re changing politics. | Politico
ABORTION ACCESS IN THE U.S.
Track state-level developments on reproductive rights anytime at News From The States. Send tips and thoughts to ✉️ [email protected], and follow her on Bluesky @elishabrown.
And if you enjoyed today's edition, forward this email to a friend.