As the battle rages to keep mifepristone on the US market, the Biden government has introduced a bill to plug a gap in the healthcare system. In fact, as of today, HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Acta federal law that defines data security and privacy requirements for organizations responsible for safeguarding patient information) does not prohibit doctors from notifying the police when they suspect a patient is miscarrying on her own.
While HIPAA doesn’t require professionals to provide such reports, it doesn’t prohibit it, thus leaving it up to each doctor to sign up for a form of “report” of their patients, based on mere suspicions.
A crucial measure
In the post-Roe v. Wade, who has seen a dramatic reduction in reproductive and sexual rights nationwide, such a loophole poses a real danger to patient health and safety.
” When a pregnant patient comes to the emergency room, she shouldn’t worry about a health care professional calling the police because she suspects that patient, for example, has self-administered a medical abortion. » hammers an expert, interviewed by Bloomberg law. According to media reports, even some health workers would feel compelled to report the facts to the police.
As detailed by the American media JezebelThe draft would then seek to add a paragraph to HIPAA to prohibit health care providers and insurance companies from sharing health data that could be used to “ identify, investigate, prosecute, or prosecute anyone seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating access to legal sexual and reproductive health care These include prenatal care, access to abortion, management of natural terminations of pregnancy, infertility treatments and contraception. This measure will also protect people forced to move to another state to access ‘abortion.
A real and terrible risk
An August 2022 report showed that out of 61 cases investigated following pregnancy outcomes, 45% were reported to law enforcement by healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses and social workers.
Jezebel, “Biden Administration Moves To Ban Health Care Workers From Reporting Abortions To Police,” April 12, 2023
This measure is crucial at a time when self-administered abortions could increase significantly if a Texas federal judge’s decision to suspend access to the mifepristone abortion pill is recorded. The bill introduced by the Biden administration is open for comment for the next 60 days, after which a final draft will be presented.
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
