Posted on Nov 30, 2022
Judge blocks Kansas law that banned prescribing abortion pills over telemedicine
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Kansas women could soon be able to seek abortion pills through telemedicine appointments after a judge blocked a state law banning the practice.
Abortion providers and abortion rights advocates say the decision will help expand access to abortion for people across the state, particularly in areas like western Kansas that might be several hours from the nearest clinic. The state’s five clinics are clustered around Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas.
The decision “paves the way for Kansas abortion clinics to expand services to women in remote, underserved areas of Kansas,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, in a statement.
The legal status of telemedicine abortion has been tied up in Kansas courts for years, since the Center for Reproductive Rights and Wichita-based clinic Trust Women challenged a 2011 law requiring doctors to be in the same room as patients when prescribing abortion-inducing medication.
Abortion providers and abortion rights advocates say the decision will help expand access to abortion for people across the state, particularly in areas like western Kansas that might be several hours from the nearest clinic. The state’s five clinics are clustered around Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas.
The decision “paves the way for Kansas abortion clinics to expand services to women in remote, underserved areas of Kansas,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, in a statement.
The legal status of telemedicine abortion has been tied up in Kansas courts for years, since the Center for Reproductive Rights and Wichita-based clinic Trust Women challenged a 2011 law requiring doctors to be in the same room as patients when prescribing abortion-inducing medication.
Judge blocks Kansas law that banned prescribing abortion pills over telemedicine
Posted from kcur.org
Abortion
Medical
Health
Pharmaceuticals
Posted >1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."“Banning telehealth for medication abortion had been something that conservative states had glommed on to starting about a decade ago,” said Elizabeth Nash, a state policy analyst at the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.
Besides Kansas, 18 states have laws banning telemedicine abortions in effect, many of which also ban abortion in most cases. Only seven other states ban telemedicine abortion in instances where it would be legal in person.
“Kansas is a fairly critical state for abortion access in the country,” Nash said. “While the decision in this case is very important … it’s also not the end of the road. The case is not finished, and there’s certainly more that’s going to happen in the Legislature around abortion in the coming years.”
Rose Conlon reports on health for KMUW and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter at @rosebconlon or email her at [login to see] .
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy."...
..."“Banning telehealth for medication abortion had been something that conservative states had glommed on to starting about a decade ago,” said Elizabeth Nash, a state policy analyst at the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.
Besides Kansas, 18 states have laws banning telemedicine abortions in effect, many of which also ban abortion in most cases. Only seven other states ban telemedicine abortion in instances where it would be legal in person.
“Kansas is a fairly critical state for abortion access in the country,” Nash said. “While the decision in this case is very important … it’s also not the end of the road. The case is not finished, and there’s certainly more that’s going to happen in the Legislature around abortion in the coming years.”
Rose Conlon reports on health for KMUW and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter at @rosebconlon or email her at [login to see] .
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy."...
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