HHS investigating states for ‘coercing’ health care entities to provide abortions

HHS investigating states for ‘coercing’ healthcare entities to provide abortions

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday it’s launching investigations into 13 states for allegedly violating a federal “conscience” clause forbidding discrimination against healthcare providers that refuse to facilitate abortions. 

HHS officials said the department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will launch investigations into 13 states for allegedly violating the Weldon Amendment, an appropriations provision that states any state or local government that receives federal funds cannot “discriminate” against any health care provider that refuses to cover, pay for, refer or provide an abortion. 

The states the HHS will investigate are California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. States will have 20 days to respond to letters sent by the HHS. 

“OCR launches these investigations to address certain states’ alleged disregard of, or confusion about, compliance with the Weldon Amendment,” Paula Stannard, director of the OCR, said in a statement. 

“Under the Weldon Amendment, health care entities, such as health insurance issuers and health plans, are protected from state discrimination for not paying for, or providing coverage of, abortion contrary to conscience. Period.” 

In a press call, an HHS official described the provision, put in place in 2005, as being necessary “because of concern over the fact that state and local governments were coercing health care entities … both providers as well as health plans and health insurance companies, into covering or providing abortion, despite religious or conscientious objections to those requirements.” 

Officials said these investigations were not prompted by any complaints from these states, though they said this was “largely, I think, because the prior administration closed complaints.” 

When asked what a policy compliant with the Weldon Amendment would look like, an HHS official said, “I can’t speculate, in the absence of concrete examples, with respect to what a compliant policy would look like at this point. The statute is fairly clear and straightforward.” 

Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, I’m Joseph Choi— every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.

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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:

Most ACA enrollees cutting back on food, household needs to pay for health care: Poll

A little more than half of Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace enrollees reported cutting back on spending for food, clothing and other basic household items to afford health care, which has become more expensive. In a new KFF poll released Thursday, 55 percent of returning ACA marketplace enrollees said they are already or are planning to cut back on food or basic household items so they can afford health care-related costs, …

Early COVID-19 pandemic death toll much higher than official count: Study

A study published Wednesday shows that the early U.S. death toll during the COVID-19 pandemic was higher than previously recorded. The journal Science Advances found that more than 155,000 unrecognized additional deaths outside of hospitals between March 2020 and December 2021 likely went uncounted. This suggests that 15.6 percent of deaths went uncounted, as the official death toll during that time frame was more than 840,000. …

FDA approves higher dose of Wegovy

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday approved a higher dose of the Wegovy weight loss drug. The manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, increased the semaglutide injection by 4.8 mg to total 7.2 mg. The company says the higher dosage is recommended for those who taken the lower dose already for at least four weeks. Novo Nordisk is expected to launch the new dosage next month.  Prior to Thursday, the highest approved …

Branch out with a different read:

HHS investigating 13 states for ‘coercing’ health care providers to provide abortions

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Thursday it is launching investigations into 13 states for violating a federal health refusal clause and “coercing” health care entities into providing or performing abortion services. HHS officials said the department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will launch investigations into 13 states for allegedly violating the Weldon Amendment, an appropriations …

Local and state headlines on health care:

Lawmakers seek to protect crisis pregnancy centers as abortion clinic numbers shrink (Montana Free Press) 

Mid-Michigan health departments warn of rising measles risk (WNEM) 

Most people getting abortion services in Massachusetts don’t live there (WGBH) 

Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets:

National survey of NIH-funded researchers shows precarious state of U.S. science — ‘This is like the Titanic’ (Stat) 

Abortion pill fight puts GOP in a bind (Axios) 

US starts engaging drugmakers on putting Trump’s MFN pricing into law (Reuters) 

Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill:

The farm bill, in its current state, is a public health failure

Work requirements will help Medicaid and its beneficiaries

You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow! 

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