The Oregon Health Authority launched a website Tuesday to make it easier for women to obtain abortions. That day, the U.S. Supreme Court was considering another abortion case brought by groups who want to restrict access to abortion pills.
The timing was no coincidence, said Larry Bingham, a spokesman for the health department.
“Given the national debate and confusion surrounding reproductive health, we want to ensure Oregonians have accurate, fact-based information and access to resources and services regarding abortion, which is legal in Oregon. ,” Bingham said in an email.
of Access to Abortion in Oregon The website reveals that abortion is legal in Oregon, which has the least restrictions in the nation. In a release, Governor Tina Kotek emphasized that Oregon residents have the right to abortion, as well as visitors to the state.
under Reproductive Health Equity Act Passed in 2017, abortion is free for patients. They must be covered by insurance, including Medicaid, commercial plans and employer plans. Oregon also covers abortions for illegal immigrants. However, there are exceptions to the Access Act. Veterans, tribal communities, federal employees and others who receive health insurance through the federal government are not eligible for the procedure because Congress prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions. The state also granted exceptions to Providence Health Plan, along with religious employers who wish to opt out.
States have programs. abortion access plan, which is intended to help people who are not covered by insurance companies, has a link on its website.website too provides information about various abortion services,patient's legal rightslist of abortion provider, information help pay for insurance and expenses; how to ask for help With travel and other support.
Around the same time that health officials announced the website, justices on the U.S. Supreme Court were hearing arguments in a case against the abortion drug mifepristone backed by religious groups. The US Food and Drug Administration approved it in 2000 and updated prescribing guidelines in 2016, making the pill more accessible.
Conservative religious groups are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to rescind these guidelines because they would make it harder to access the drug, which is also used to alleviate miscarriage. When used to induce an abortion, mifepristone is usually taken with another medication. Misoprostol. Medication abortions account for more than 60% of abortions performed in the United States, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion data.
as State Newsroom reported, the justices seemed skeptical of the arguments of anti-abortion groups. A decision on the case is expected later this year. If a judge rules against easy access to mifepristone, Oregon would be affected, even though the state has a stockpile of mifepristone.About a year ago, Kotek ordered A three-year supply of the drug will need to be purchased, and health officials are working with health care providers to develop a plan to distribute the pills as needed.
Hundreds of people protested further restrictions on abortion, including Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. She spoke alongside New York Attorney General Letitia James as part of speakers from across the country who gathered in Washington, D.C., to demand access to safe and legal abortion.
“that “It was an honor to join so many reproductive justice advocates on the front lines of the fight for access to essential health care,” Rosenblum said in a later news release. “That energy was contagious and gave me hope and renewed energy to continue the fight.”
Oregon officials present in united front
Meanwhile, in Oregon, Health care providers, advocates, and Democratic legislators such as Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Democratic Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon's 1st District, an obstetrician-gynecologist and new president of family planning group Columbia-Willamette; CEO Dr. Sarah Kennedy) gather in Northeast Portland to present a united front to maintain access to mifepristone. Wyden said Tuesday's lawsuit represents another attempt by conservatives to roll back reproductive health care following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn it. Roe vs. Wade In 2022.
“What we are essentially dealing with is the next and latest inhumane and unconstitutional attack on reproductive rights,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.. Ta. “First of all, what you have is Roe vs. Wade, I recently underwent IVF, and today I will be talking about mifepristone. We must believe that contraceptive methods will become a reality in the future. ”
Kennedy echoed similar sentiments, saying the incident “represents another extreme attempt to chip away at safe and legal abortion,” and vowed that Bonamici would continue to fight for reproductive rights. .
“We will fight today and for as long as necessary to protect, restore and expand access to abortion, including access to mifepristone,” Bonamici said.
of Roe vs. Wade prompted to make a decision A legislative working group recommending that health authorities create websites with comprehensive reproductive health information. And in March of that year, in anticipation of the ruling, the Democratic-controlled Congress approved the Reproductive Health Equity Fund to help underserved communities access abortion and other care. allocated $15 million to Abortion is legal statewide, but 75% of Oregon's counties, home to about one-fifth of the state's women, do not have access to abortions, according to Seeding Justice, a Portland nonprofit that oversees the fund. There are no companies offering it. Last year, the company donated $1 million to the Northwest Abortion Access Fund, which helps patients in Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Alaska access abortions by paying for travel, hotels, meals, and child care. There is. Demand for the fund has increased more than 250% in the past year, according to Seeding Justice.
Last week, the company announced it would donate an additional $8.5 million to 23 organizations serving a variety of low-income, racially and ethnically diverse communities. Award recipients include Basic Rights Oregon, Latino Network, Northwest Portland Area Health Indian Board, Oregon Community Health Workers Association, Planned Parenthood, and Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center.
This article was updated with Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum's rally in Washington, DC on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 7:16 p.m.
Get the morning headlines delivered to your inbox
