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The Al Shifa hospital was lit up in Gaza City on Tuesday. But to the Israeli military, it is a threat, and, perhaps, a target. Among Al Shifa’s current patients are about 130 newborns who were orphaned just as they were born, according to doctors at Al Shifa. Born premature, they were placed in incubators in Al Shifa’s neonatal intensive care unit. Video A doctor treating premature babies at Al Shifa Hospital said that many of the newborns were now orphaned.

Persons: Al Shifa, Al, ”, Daniel Hagari, Salama Marouf, Israel, Hagari, Dawood Nemer, “, I’ve, Tamir Kalifa, The New York Times Al Shifa’s, Al Shifa’s, obstetricians, Bisan, Mohammed Al, Masri, Ghassan Abu Sittah, —, ” Iyad Abuheweila, Isabel Kershner Organizations: Agence France, Shifa, The New York Times, Population, Al Shifa Hospital, Reuters, Al, CNN Locations: Gaza City, Gaza, Al, —, Tel Aviv, Israel, Hamas’s, British, Palestinian, Lebanese

☆ Elon Musk's dad, 77, says he'd have more kids — but only if he could find a woman under 35
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Errol Musk said he'd be open to having more children if he could find a woman under the age of 35. Much like his son Elon Musk — who has 10 known living children — Errol Musk told Insider he believes people need to have more children and said he'd consider having more kids. "Men are all the same," Errol Musk told Insider. So if a woman came along who was able to have children, she'd have to be under 35 because a woman's cutoff for having children is 35, believe it or not." AdvertisementAdvertisementLast year, Errol Musk told Insider he thinks Elon Musk should have more children.

Persons: Errol Musk, Elon Musk's, he'd, —, isn't, Elon Musk, we're, Maye Musk, Heide Bezuidenhout, Jana Bezuidenhout, Jana, Walter Isaacson, Tesla, Errol, Elon, Isaacson Organizations: Service, Elon, American College of Obstetricians, US Centers for Disease Control Locations: Jana

☆ PMS now could mean more than twice the risk of early menopause later, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Menopause is considered early when it occurs before age 45, which will happen in 5% to 10% of women, Yang said. Early menopause is concerning because of the shortened reproductive years, but also because of links to other health concerns, she added. A 2010 study found that women who experience early menopause are at an increased risk for overall mortality, including cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and neurological diseases. How are PMS and early menopause connected? Women also need to know that there are ways to manage early menopause and the bothersome hot flashes, she said.

Persons: ”, Yihui Yang, Yang, Stephanie Faubion, Faubion, —, Donghao Lu, ” Faubion, Elizabeth Bertone, Johnson, “ Organizations: CNN, Karolinska Institutet, Mayo Clinic Center, Women’s Health, PMDs, Karolinska, University of Massachusetts Amherst, American College of Obstetricians, Women’s, US Department of Health, Human Services Locations: Sweden

☆ ‘MeToo’ for mothers: Australian inquiry hears troubling accounts of birth trauma
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

NSWParliament/YouTubeWhat is birth trauma? Amy Dawes founded the Australasian Birth Trauma Association (ABTA) after sustaining life-altering injuries during the forceps delivery of her first child in 2015. Amy Dawes, founder of the Australasian Birth Trauma Association, with her two children ages 9 and 6. In fact, we are breaking mothers.”Fiona Reid, a clinical midwife with decades of experience, said birth trauma was not only affecting others but also midwives. Reid said birth trauma will never be eliminated – “it’s an impossible request.”But she said attention should focus on eliminating preventable birth trauma and raising standards so the measure of success isn’t merely survival.

Persons: Naomi Bowden, Stella’s stillbirth, ”, ‘, Bowden, ” Hannah Dahlen, Dahlen, ” Dahlen, Dr Hannan Dahlen, “, ” “, Jared Watts, Carly Griffin, New South Wales Carly Griffin, I’m, ’ ”, Jessica Holliday, New South Wales Jessica Holliday, ” Holliday, ” Amanda Macaulay's, Amanda Macaulay, she’d, Emma Hurst, Amy Dawes, there’s, ” Dawes, Fiona Reid, –, Reid, ” Reid, ” Fiona Reid, “ I’ve, they’re, I’ve, isn’t Organizations: Australia CNN, “, Western Sydney University, Royal Australian, New Zealand College of Obstetricians, OB, BMI, CNN, NSW, Trauma, Organization for Economic Co, Development, World Health Organization, WHO, Australian Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Australian, New South Wales, Americas, Europe, Asia, NSW

They claim the Florida Constitution's privacy clause for more than 40 years has explicitly protected a right to abortion in the state. Florida officials contend the Supreme Court has in the past erroneously concluded the privacy clause covers abortion rights when it was actually intended more as a guard for “informational privacy, like the disclosure of private facts." The six-week ban DeSantis signed into law earlier this year would take effect 30 days after a Supreme Court decision to affirm the current ban. The privacy clause was put into the Florida Constitution by a voter referendum in 1980 and later affirmed as including abortion rights by the state Supreme Court. An appeals court overturned the injunction, bringing the case before the state Supreme Court.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, —, Dobbs, Roe, Wade, ”, Jennifer Canady, Charles Canady Organizations: Republican Gov, GOP, Planned, American Civil Liberties Union, Voters, Supreme, Republican, American College of Obstetricians, American Medical Association Locations: Florida, Tallahassee, “, U.S, Leon

☆ As Abortion Laws Drive Obstetricians From Red States, Maternity Care Suffers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sheryl Gay Stolberg | More About Sheryl Gay Stolberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Across the country, in red states like Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee, obstetricians — including highly skilled doctors who specialize in handling complex and risky pregnancies — are leaving their practices. The departures may result in new maternity care deserts, or areas that lack any maternity care, and they are placing strains on physicians like Dr. Gustafson who are left behind. Restrictive abortion laws, experts say, are making that problem much worse. “This isn’t an issue about abortion,” said Dr. Stella Dantas, the president-elect of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. A temporary order issued by a federal judge also permits abortion in some circumstances when a woman’s health is at risk.

Persons: obstetricians, Gustafson, ”, Stella Dantas, Roe, Wade Organizations: American College of Obstetricians, Doctors Locations: Texas , Oklahoma, Tennessee, Idaho

Used boxes of Mifepristone, the first pill in a medical abortion, line a trash can at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, U.S., April 20, 2023. Circuit Court of Appeals stopped short of ruling that the drug must be pulled off the market altogether, as a lower court had done. The three-judge 5th Circuit panel was reviewing an order in April by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas. They contend the FDA used an improper process when it approved mifepristone in 2000 and did not adequately consider the drug's safety when used by minors. The court also reversed the agency's 2016 decision to allow mifepristone to be used up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, up from seven.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Kacsmaryk, Erin Hawley, William Ho, mifepristone, telemedicine, Jennifer Walker Elrod, Wade, Brendan Pierson, Nate Raymond, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Alamo Women's, REUTERS, Circuit, U.S, Supreme, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, White, Alliance, Hippocratic Medicine, FDA, Alliance Defending, STATES, Guttmacher Institute, American College of Obstetricians, American Medical Association, Thomson Locations: Alamo, Carbondale , Illinois, U.S, New Orleans, Amarillo , Texas, New York, Boston

Circuit Court of Appeals stopped short of ruling that the drug must be pulled off the market altogether, as a lower court had done. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice said that the Biden administration will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, supports abortion rights and last year ordered the federal health agency to expand access to mifepristone. [1/2]Used boxes of Mifepristone, the first pill in a medical abortion, line a trash can at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, U.S., April 20, 2023. The U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned its landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that had legalized abortion nationwide.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Kacsmaryk, Erin Hawley, Susan B, Anthony Pro, Alexis McGill Johnson, Evan Masingill, Evelyn Hockstein, James Ho, mifepristone, telemedicine, Jennifer Walker Elrod, Wade, Brendan Pierson, Patrick Wingrove, Nate Raymond, Sharon Bernstein, Trevor Hunnicutt, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Circuit, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S, Supreme, Alliance, Hippocratic Medicine, FDA, Alliance Defending, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, U.S . Food, Alamo Women's, REUTERS, Guttmacher Institute, American College of Obstetricians, American Medical Association, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, New Orleans, Amarillo , Texas, Alamo, Carbondale , Illinois, New York, Boston, Sacramento , California, Washington

☆ For the First Time, There’s a Pill for Postpartum Depression
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Pam Belluck | More About Pam Belluck | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first pill for postpartum depression, a milestone considered likely to increase recognition and treatment of a debilitating condition that afflicts about a half-million women in the United States every year. Clinical trial data show the pill works quickly, beginning to ease depression in as little as three days, significantly faster than general antidepressants, which can take two weeks or longer to have an effect. That — along with the fact that it is taken for just two weeks, not for months — may encourage more patients to accept treatment, maternal mental health experts said. The most significant aspect of the approval may not be the features of the drug, but that it is explicitly designated for postpartum depression. The hope is that it will encourage more women to seek help and prompt more obstetricians and family doctors to screen for symptoms and suggest counseling or treatment.

Organizations: Drug Administration Locations: United States

☆ ‘Barbie’ movie’s ending is an important reminder for women’s health
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The final scene in "Barbie" is important for normalizing women's health, CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen said. Jaap Buitendijk/Courtesy of Warner Bros. PicturesCNN: Do we give enough attention to women’s reproductive health? Dr. Leana Wen: Reproductive health care is still not regarded as part of total health and well-being. It solidifies the understanding that reproductive health is an integral part of overall health. This is a general preventive health visit in which the health care provider begins to establish a relationship of trust with the patient in a one-on-one, confidential setting.

Persons: “ Barbie, ”, Ruth Handler, Barbie, Leana Wen, Margot Robbie, Jaap Buitendijk, Barbie ”, Wen, normalizes, Pap Organizations: CNN, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Warner Bros . Pictures CNN, American College of Obstetricians

☆ Opill: The FDA approved the US’ first over-the-counter birth control pill. What happens next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Amanda Musa | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the oral contraceptive Opill for over-the-counter use, making it the first nonprescription birth control pill in the United States, but it will be months before it’s available. The typical combination birth control pill, the most commonly used form of oral contraception, uses both hormones to prevent pregnancy. “People use birth control for things outside of preventing pregnancy like [polycystic ovary syndrome], treating heavy periods, painful periods,” she said. “There’s a lot of uses for it outside of birth control that people also will benefit if they can get it over the counter.”Who can use Opill? This could have a major impact for adolescents and young adults who may not otherwise have the resources to access birth control, according to Brandi.

Persons: Gynecologists, ” ACOG, Carolyn Westhoff, they’re, “, ”, Opill, Kristyn Brandi, Brandi, ” Brandi, Anne, Marie Amies Oelschlager, Amies Oelschlager, Jennifer Robinson, ” Robinson, Frederique, Joe Biden, Court’s Dobbs, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Meg Tirrell Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, American College of Obstetricians, FDA, Columbia University, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Gynecology, of Gynecology, Johns Hopkins University, Treasury, Labor, Human, CNN Health Locations: United States, Opill, New Jersey

☆ We Can Stop the Rise in Maternal Mortality - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Veronica Gillispie-Bell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, or AIM, is a quality improvement initiative designed to put in place and support best practices to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. Maternal outcomes are not determined by health care alone. What we call social determinants of health — where we live, work and play — also affect health outcomes. When we think about maternal mortality, we should also look to economic stability, education access, health care access, neighborhood and the built environment and community. There is a biased belief that Black women are overly loud and demanding and that we can take more pain than our white counterparts.

Persons: GYN, — Organizations: Alliance, Innovation, Maternal, AIM, The, Medicare, Services, Black, Commonwealth Locations: United States, Wyoming

☆ FDA approves Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

HRA Pharma expects a final decision by the FDA this summer on its application for nonprescription sales of Opill, which is generically called norgestrel. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill, a landmark decision that will allow more women and girls in the U.S. to prevent unintended pregnancies without a prescription. The daily pill, called Opill, was first approved by the FDA as a prescription in 1973. Medical organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and women's health advocates have pushed for wider access. More than 50 members of Congress in March 2022 also called on FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf to ensure the agency reviewed applications for over-the-counter birth control pills without delay.

Persons: Biden, Wade, –, Welgryn, Robert Califf, Patrizia Cavazzoni, Opill Organizations: HRA Pharma, FDA, Drug Administration, American College of Obstetricians, FDA's Center, Drug, Research Locations: U.S, Paris, Dublin

WILMINGTON, Delaware, June 29 (Reuters) - A legal case making its way through the courts could remove the abortion pill mifepristone from the market or restrict access to the drug. George Delgado - A California palliative care specialist, Delgado helped pioneer "abortion reversal" treatments for women who change their mind after taking mifepristone. Circuit Court of Appeals as an example of the harm caused by the approval of the abortion pill. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists has said abortion reversal is not supported by science and does not meet clinical standards. Foley said in his abortion pill testimony he also treats women for abortion pill reversal.

Persons: George Delgado, Delgado, mifepristone, Gynecologists, Ingrid Skop, Skop, Donna Harrison, Harrison, Tyler Johnson, Johnson, AAPLOG, Steven Foley, Foley, CMDA, Tom Hals, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: U.S, Circuit, Appeals, American, of Obstetrics, American Association of Pro, Christian Medical, Dental, Charlotte Lozier Institute, Reuters, Indiana, Alliance, Hippocratic, Republican, FDA, Thomson Locations: WILMINGTON , Delaware, California, Texas, Florida, North Dakota, An Indiana, Indiana, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ A Year After Dobbs, Advocates Push in the States for a Right to Birth Control
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Sheryl Gay Stolberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“It’s going to be up to Republicans to choose whether they want to protect the right to contraception,” Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts and the sponsor of the failed Senate bill, said in an interview before the governor’s veto. Mr. Markey called the Dobbs decision “a preview of coming atrocities.”On Wednesday, Mr. Markey and Representative Kathy Manning, Democrat of North Carolina, reintroduced legislation to create a national right to contraception. With the House now controlled by Republicans and Senate Democrats well short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster, the legislation is most likely dead on arrival in Washington. Polls have consistently shown broad bipartisan support for access to contraception, and while Republicans may not be eager to enshrine a right to it in federal law, neither do they generally want to ban it. Still, some opposition to birth control does exist.

Persons: “, Edward J, Markey, Kathy Manning Organizations: Democrat, Republicans, Senate Democrats, Roman Catholic Church, American College of Obstetricians, and Drug Administration Locations: Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington, implanting

☆ What is eclampsia, the condition that may have killed Olympian Tori Bowie?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But it can develop in anyone, including someone who’s thin and super healthy,” said Dr. Nicole Calloway Rankins, a maternal health advocate and obstetrician-gynecologist in Richmond, Virginia. However, high blood pressure, often called the “silent killer,” does not always show signs, so the best prevention is regular checkups and blood pressure readings throughout pregnancy, experts say. That’s literally a hypertensive crisis.”For people worried about heart disease, blood pressure at those levels would be concerning, but not a crisis. What is it about pregnancy that makes high blood pressure so dangerous? “We really have to be vigilant and understand that blood pressure in pregnancy is different than outside of pregnancy.

Persons: Tori Bowie, Bowie, ”, Nicole Calloway Rankins, “, Antonia Oladipo, Eclampsia, Eleni Tsigas, Alastair Grant, Rankins, Tori, ” Tsigas, “ We’ve, Tsigas, it’s, don’t, ” Rankins, something’s, Joe Biden, Iffath Abbasi Hoskins, Gynecologists, ” Hoskins, ” CNN’s Jacqueline Howard Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Cleveland Clinic, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Preeclampsia Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Commonwealth Fund, Dimes, Century Foundation, Data, National Center for Health Statistics, American College of Obstetricians Locations: preeclampsia, Richmond , Virginia, New Jersey, Melbourne , Florida, Florida, London, Orlando , Florida, United States

☆ Fact Check-Tdap vaccine use in pregnancy proven safe in studies, not ‘an experiment’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

TDAP TRIALSThe Tdap vaccine can help prevent three diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, which is also known as whooping cough (here). Whooping cough can be “extremely serious especially in babies and young children, causing pneumonia, convulsions, brain damage, or death,” according to the CDC (here). FDA-approved vaccine package-insert documentation for Adacel (here) and Boostrix (here) shows that neither manufacturer states the vaccine has not been tested in clinical trials. In 2017, about 49% of all pregnant women in the U.S. received a Tdap vaccine during their pregnancy (here). Clinical trials and population data have shown the Tdap vaccine to be safe and effective in pregnancy.

May 17 (Reuters) - Federal appeals court judges appeared to express support on Wednesday for opponents of the abortion pill mifepristone to pursue their challenge to its U.S. approval, which has potentially far-reaching consequences for abortion access across the country. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to overturn last month's unprecedented ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas suspending mifepristone's approval. [1/2] A patient prepares to take Mifepristone, the first medication in a medical abortion, at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, U.S., April 20, 2023. Circuit Judges James Ho and Wilson were appointed by Donald Trump. SAFE AND EFFECTIVEMifepristone remains available for now, following an emergency order from the U.S. Supreme Court putting Kacsmaryk's order on hold during the appeal.

[1/2] A patient prepares to take Mifepristone, the first medication in a medical abortion, at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, U.S., April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File PhotoMay 17 (Reuters) - U.S. appeals court judges began hearing arguments on Wednesday in a legal battle over the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone, with potentially far-reaching consequences for abortion access across the United States. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to overturn last month's unprecedented ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas suspending mifepristone's approval. Danco Laboratories, which sells the drug under the brand name Mifeprex, is also expected to argue before the court. The emergency room doctors said they were being forced to complete surgical abortions, which was against their conscience, for women who took the pill and failed to complete a medical abortion.

[1/2] A patient prepares to take Mifepristone, the first medication in a medical abortion, at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, U.S., April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File PhotoMay 17 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court in New Orleans will hear arguments on Wednesday in a closely watched case brought by anti-abortion activists seeking to ban the abortion pill mifepristone, with potentially far-reaching impact on abortion access across the United States. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn last month's unprecedented ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas suspending mifepristone's FDA approval. Mifepristone remains available for now, following an emergency order from the U.S. Supreme Court putting Kacsmaryk's order on hold during the appeal. Whichever way the 5th Circuit panel rules, the decision is sure to be appealed, first to the full court and then to the U.S. Supreme Court.

☆ A Birth Control Pill May Soon Be Available Over the Counter. Here’s What to Know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Food and Drug Administration advisers concluded that the benefits outweighed the risks of making a hormonal contraceptive pill — sold under the brand name Opill and produced by the French company HRA Pharma — available without a prescription. follows the nonbinding recommendation of its advisers — and there is a chance the agency might not — Opill would become the first and only birth control pill to be available over the counter since oral contraceptives were introduced in the U.S. in 1960. A 2022 survey found that 77 percent of more than 5,000 female participants favored the idea of getting the birth control pill over the counter, with many saying it would be more convenient and efficient to get it without a prescription. Progestin-only pills have been widely used in the United States since the first one was approved in 1973. Like other oral contraceptives, they require a prescription from a health care provider or, in some states, a pharmacist.

☆ FDA advisors recommend sale of birth control pill without a prescription
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A panel of experts who advise the Food and Drug Administration unanimously recommended Wednesday that the agency for the first time allow women to obtain a birth control pill without a prescription. The panel had been asked whether the benefits of selling HRA Pharma's birth control pill Opill outweighed the risks of consumers improperly using the medication resulting in unintended pregnancy. Medical associations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for years have urged over-the-counter sales of birth control pills be allowedMore than 50 members of Congress in March 2022 called on FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf to ensure the agency reviewed applications for over-the-counter birth control pills without delay. "Despite decades of proven safety and effectiveness, people still face immense barriers to getting birth control due to systemic inequities in our healthcare system." Shrinking access to abortion across the U.S. in turn sparked renewed calls for expanded access to birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

☆ FDA may allow birth control pill without prescription this summer as experts weigh data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Food and Drug Administration could approve the sale of birth control medication without a prescription for the first time by this summer. The FDA approved prescription sales of HRA Pharma's birth control pill in 1973. Medical associations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for years have supported over-the-counter access to birth control without age restrictions. In March 2022, more than 50 members of Congress urged FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf to review applications for over-the-counter sales of birth control without delay. "Despite decades of proven safety and effectiveness, people still face immense barriers to getting birth control due to systemic inequities in our healthcare system."

☆ Health Plan Coverage of Abortion and Related Services
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Practical Law Employee Benefits | Executive Compensation | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +36 min

The Dobbs ruling, which returned the regulation of abortion to the individual states, has led to legislation that restricts abortion, including medication abortion, in many states. In response to the rapidly changing post-Dobbs legal landscape, this article addresses health plan coverage of abortion, medication abortion coverage and litigation, abortion-related travel benefits, and related Practical Law resources concerning these topics. The insurer in a fully insured health plan, health maintenance organization (HMO), or similar arrangement:Assumes the risk of providing health coverage for insured events by paying medical costs for eligible claims incurred under the plan. Self-Funded Health PlansBy contrast, employers with self-funded arrangements may have more discretion in providing coverage for abortion and related services. Changes to plan coverage of medication abortion will likely require plan administrators to:(For more on coverage of medication abortion, see Newly Launched, ReproductiveRights.gov Website Addresses Access to Medication Abortion (Mifepristone) Using Telehealth on Practical Law.)

April 28 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Denver on Friday rejected a Catholic medical center's bid to block Colorado from banning an unproven treatment meant to reverse the effects of a medication abortion drug. Medication abortion begins with the drug mifepristone, which blocks action of the hormone progesterone, crucial for sustaining pregnancy, and is completed with a second drug, misoprostol. Proponents of medication abortion reversal say that if a woman changes her mind after taking mifepristone but before taking misoprostol, the pregnancy can be continued by administering a high dose of progesterone. Mifepristone is the subject of a heated legal battle as anti-abortion groups seek to pull it from the market. Republican state legislatures have also taken steps to restrict access to the drug, while Democratic legislatures have sought to protect it.

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