Civic Register
| 7.22.19
Trump Administration Delays Enforcing New Abortion Referral Rule
Should taxpayer-funded clinics be allowed to refer women for abortions?
Update - July 22, 2019:
- The Trump administration has postponed its plan to ban taxpayer-funded family planning clinics from referring women for abortions, giving the clinics more time to comply with the new rule.
- The Department of Health and Human Services sent the clinics a memo over the weekend saying the government “does not intend to bring enforcement actions” against clinics that are making “good-faith efforts to comply.”
- The National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association called DHS' action “wholly insufficient.”
“Failure [by DHS] to provide detailed implementation guidance may be the start of a game of ‘gotcha’ as it assesses compliance with the rule,” the statement added.
Countable's original story appears below.
Update - July 17, 2019:
- Federally-funded family planning clinics, including Planned Parenthood, are vowing to defy the Trump administration's ban on referring women for abortions.
- Instead, Planned Parenthood said they will stop accepting federal money and tap emergency funding as they pressure Congress to reverse the administration's ban.
"We are not going to comply with a regulation that would require health care providers to not give full information to their patients," Jacqueline Ayers, Planned Parenthood's top lobbyist, said Tuesday. "We believe as a health care provider it is wrong to withhold health care information from patients."
- The Department of Health and Human Services formally notified clinics Monday that it will begin enforcing a ban on abortion referrals. HHS is also requiring clinics to maintain separate finances from facilities that provide abortions.
Countable's original story appears below.
What’s the story?
- Taxpayer-funded family planning clinics must immediately stop referring women for abortions, the Health and Human Services department said Monday.
- HHS notified clinics on Monday that it will begin enforcing the ban on abortion referrals. It will also require clinics to maintain separate finances from facilities that provide abortions.
- Another requirement that both kinds of facilities cannot be under the same roof is scheduled to take effect next year.
What is Title X?
- Established in 1970 as part of the Public Health Service Act, Title X provides comprehensive family planning and related preventative health services primarily to low-income and uninsured individuals at little to no cost.
- Planned Parenthood is the largest single recipient of Title X funding. Roughly 4 million women use the $250 million-plus program for birth control, cancer screenings, and other health services.
What are people saying?
Supporters of the ban
- "Ending the connection between abortion and family planning is a victory for common-sense health care," Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, said in a statement.
"We are confident that the Trump administration will ultimately prevail [against legal challenges] and grateful that, in the meantime, the Protect Life Rule can immediately begin saving lives," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List.
Critics of the ban
- Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen said in a statement that "our doors are still open" as her organization and other groups seek to overturn the regulations in federal court. "We will not stop fighting for all those across the country in need of essential care," Wen said.
- The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association - which represents many Title X-funded organizations – condemned the administration’s abrupt decision to begin enforcing the abortion “gag rule.”
- "It comes without any guidance or due diligence informing providers what steps would constitute compliance with the requirements in this sweeping new regulation," said Clare Coleman, the group's president.
"Once again, the administration’s actions show its intent is to further an ideological agenda, not protect and improve health care for those in need."
What do you think?
Do you support the new abortion restrictions? Take action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.
—Josh Herman
(Photo Credit: Elvert Barnes via Flickr)
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