Articles Posted in Health Care

Five women and two obstetrician-gynecologists sued Texas on Monday to clarify an exception to its near-total abortion ban that allows medical professionals to provide abortions in life-threatening emergencies.

The U.S. Department of Justice found that Maine failed to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act by over-institutionalizing children with mental health and developmental disabilities, rather than providing adequate community-based services.

On Wednesday, a U.S. judge temporarily blocked enforcement of a recent Texas law that bans most abortions. The law, known as S.B. 8, allows private citizens to sue anyone who provides an abortion or aids and abets or intends to aid and abet an abortion.

A federal bankruptcy judge is likely to approve Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan, but signaled that he would not approve the Sackler family’s sweeping immunity demand as written.

Utah may be the first state to enact a specific law requiring biological fathers to pay half of a mother’s pregnancy-related medical costs. The law will take effect on May 5.

The COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports website is designed to show the extent to which people in various areas are reducing their normal activity to slow the spread of the virus.

Earlier this week, Google decided to extend the contracts of many temporary staff members by 60 days. These extensions apply automatically to staff members whose assignments were due to end between March 20 and May 15 of this year. Even if an assignment has reached its maximum length, a 60-day extension…

Several US states and municipalities filed a law suit earlier this week challenging “conscience” regulations, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which allow individual health care providers to deny health care information, access, and coverage based upon objections related to personal “conscience". 

Five parents have filed a lawsuit in response to an emergency order issued last week by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration declaring a public health emergency and requiring all residents within certain Brooklyn zip codes to be vaccinated against measles or face a $1,000 fine. According to news reports, the action was filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court against the New York City Department of Health, and alleges that the order exceeds the powers of the Public Health Commissioner. It also claims that the City's measures are too drastic in light of its reasons for issuing the order. A judge denied the parents' request for an emergency injunction yesterday, but the parties will appear in court on Thursday.

Last week, the federal government issued a rule to withhold federal funding for family planning from groups that provide abortions or abortion referrals. To receive federal funding, clinics will need to physically and financially separate any services that receive government funding from organizations that provide abortions or referrals.