The Quickie: What Midterm Results Mean in Key States for Abortion Access

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: What midterm results mean for abortion access in key states, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin expands birth control and family planning services, and the AMA announces new reproductive health guidance in opposition to abortion bans!

ICYMI: WHAT MIDTERM RESULTS MEAN IN KEY STATES FOR ABORTION ACCESS: This morning, Planned Parenthood Action Fund released an interested parties memo, detailing what the future of abortion access looks like in key states across the country after the midterms. Toplines include:

Arizona: Banned after 15 weeks, access remains at risk
California: Protected, right enshrined in the state constitution
Florida: Banned after 15 weeks, access remains at risk
Georgia: Legal, access remains at risk
Kansas: Protected under state constitution, governor committed to protecting access
Kentucky: Banned completely, access remains at risk
Michigan: Protected, right now enshrined in the state constitution
Minnesota: Protected under state constitution, governor will protect access
Montana: Protected under state constitution
Nevada: Legal, governor could stall progress on abortion rights
New Hampshire: Legal; access remains at risk
North Carolina: Banned after 20 weeks, access remains at risk
Ohio: Legal, access remains at risk
Pennsylvania: Legal, governor committed to protecting access
Vermont: Protected, right enshrined into the state constitution
Wisconsin: Eliminated by pre-Roe ban, governor committed to restoring access

Read the full memo here.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN EXPANDS BIRTH CONTROL AND FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES: Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI) is expanding birth control and family planning services at its Milwaukee and Madison health centers to help make a broad range of essential sexual and reproductive health care more accessible to more people. The two locations previously offered abortion care, but a pre-Roe ban — currently being challenged in court — has forced providers to suspend abortion services in the state. PPWI is expanding care to include breast and cervical cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing and treatment, HIV testing and education, testicular exams, and post-partum care at the two health centers in addition to the pregnancy assessment, miscarriage management, and abortion navigation services they already provide.

“During this time when access to abortion services is suspended, it’s more important than ever for people to have access to birth control along with the full range of sexual and reproductive health care service,” PPWI Vice President of Patient Services Amy Doczy said. “PPWI is always contemplating ways to expand our reach and meet the needs of our patients in communities across Wisconsin. At PPWI, confidential, high quality, affordable health care is our top priority. We look forward to welcoming all individuals regardless of their insurance or immigration status, gender and sexual identity."

Read more at WTMJ.

AMA ANNOUNCES NEW REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH GUIDANCE, OPPOSING ABORTION RESTRICTIONS: Yesterday, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted new policies supporting access to reproductive health care and opposing restrictions on access to abortion care. The policies also oppose the criminalization of patients and providers for pregnancy loss resulting from medically necessary care and call on the AMA to provide legal support to providers as well as ensure adequate training for future abortion providers in ban states. The AMA also updated its ethical guidelines for providers, supporting providers’ duty to provide medically necessary care even in the face of restrictive abortion bans.

“Since the Dobbs decision, health care in the United States has been thrown into chaos, with life-or-death decisions deferred to hospital lawyers, patients needing care driven across state lines, and uncertainty over the future of access to reproductive health care,” said AMA President Jack Resneck Jr., M.D. “The AMA is steadfastly opposed to governmental interference in the practice of medicine, especially for well-established, medically necessary treatments. Patients and physicians need assurances that they won’t be accused of crimes for medically necessary treatment. Unfortunately, this is the post-Dobbs world we now face. The fact that medically necessary treatment can be criminalized speaks volumes about these misguided abortion laws. Physicians and other health care professionals must attempt to comply with vague, restrictive, complex, and conflicting state laws that interfere in the practice of medicine. These new policies will help the AMA to continue our advocacy and defend physicians in legislatures and the courts.”