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Reproductive Healthcare Updates:
Unfortunately, we are seeing a resurgence of extremist anti-abortion - such as a training facility being re-opened to train anti-abortion demonstrators how to revive large scale clinic blockades.
This is why the FACE Act at the state level is so important. Despite the majority of Americans agreeing that abortion needs to be legal, there are some who are willing to go to extremes to prevent women from accessing healthcare. While there is a federal FACE Act, it is not currently being enforced.
Healthcare Updates:
Did you know? Every state has named their version of the ACA (Affordable Care Act) insurance a different name (just like Medicaid)! Pennie is the name for Pennsylvania's public health insurance.
As you may know, the healthcare subsidies that were a part of the ACA are set to expire at the end of this month. What does this mean? The subsidies were why healthcare plans through the ACA were more affordable - the government was subsidizing the insurance for people without access to employer provided insurance. The KFF (formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to healthcare policy, research, and journalism) recently published a poll showing that if the cost of healthcare increases as predicted, 1 in 4 will go uninsured.
Why does this affect everyone? When people are uninsured, they do not receive routine healthcare, and instead wait until there is an emergency and go either to urgent care or the emergency room. This not only increases the patient loads, but slowly and increasingly affects the costs of healthcare for everyone as uninsured patients typically cannot pay their medical bills. These costs are deferred to the medical institutions which then raise their rates, resulting in other medical insurance companies raising their rates for those who are insured. It is a vicious cycle, one that can be prevented. To read the full KFF poll, click HERE.
Reproductive Care + Healthcare:
How are these two related? Some proposals of the majority party to extend the ACA subsidies include reproductive healthcare limits through bans on using ACA plans to access abortion. Unfortunately, we are seeing the continuation of a weaponization of healthcare, specifically the healthcare of women.
Bills we are watching:
❅Freedom Of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act (HB670) (State)- This bill would prohibit intimidation, obstruction, or violence in front of clinics.
❅Removing the Waiting Period and Counselling requirements for abortion services (HB2005) (State)- In compliance with current state law, there is a 24 hours waiting period (meaning to access abortion services there needs to be two appointments no less than 24 hours apart) and counselling (with staggering outdated information) BEFORE an abortion can be performed.
HB 1315: Reforming Name Change Procedures/SB 521: Removing Publication Requirements for Name Changes (State)- This bill would remove antiquated requirements to publish the former and updated name. This poses risks to survivors of abuse, domestic violence, and trafficking, as well as for those seeking name changes due to gender identity. Additionally, the costs can be burdensome as there are fees associated with the publication of a name change.
❅SB 50: Protecting Insurance Coverage for Individuals with Pre-Existing Conditions (State)- This bill would protect Pennsylvanians if the Affordable Care Act gets repealed or deregulated.
Paid Family Leave / Family Care Act (State) - The House bill (HB200) is waiting for a vote on the floor and the Senate (SB906) bill has just been introduced and referred to the Labor and Industry Committee. For more information on paid family leave, click HERE.
❅ These bills are scheduled for a vote today, Wednesday December 17th, on the House floor. This does NOT guarantee a vote, it means they are on the calendar. To check for calendar updates, click HERE. Want to watch discussions live? Click HERE.
Court Cases we are watching:
South Side Area School District v. Office of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (state) In this case, petitioners claim that the PHRC exceeded its constitutional authority and that gender-inclusive protections violate the Pennsylvania Equal Rights Amendment. The commission, which enforces state laws against discrimination, announced new regulations in June 2023 under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) and the Pennsylvania Fair Educational Opportunities Act (PFEOA). The regulations clarified the definition of “sex” to include “sex assigned at birth, gender identity or expression, differences in sex development and affectional or sexual orientation,” consistent with the broad definitions used by federal and state courts. Oral arguments occurred last week and we are awaiting the ruling. For more information, click HERE.
Allegheny v PA DHS (State)- This court case challenges the ban on abortion services being funded by Medicaid in the PA Commonwealth. While a ruling was set for June, oral arguments were held on November 5th. We are awaiting the ruling in this case, which could come at any time. This case could have a profound impact on access to abortion for patients on Medicaid. For more information and to check for case updates, click HERE.
Louisiana v. Callais (Federal) This case challenges the constitutionality of Louisiana's congressional map, which includes a second majority-Black voting district. Initially, the case was a challenge to the map on the grounds of racial gerrymandering under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. However, the Court requested a reargument to consider a much broader question: whether Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 itself remains constitutional. In plain terms, this case will determine if race can be considered when drawing voting maps. This is important because the map was drawn in a way to decrease the representation of people of color in Louisiana. For more information, click HERE.
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