Data shows projected risks to hospitals, patients if healthcare cuts pass
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WGGB/WSHM) - Thousands of women in states with abortion bans are turning to out-of-state telehealth clinics for pregnancy-ending drugs, but whether this is legal remains a matter of debate.
Twenty-three states and Washington, D.C. have shield laws, which protect telehealth providers who ship abortion pills nationwide. According to the nonprofit research organization KFF, eight of those states include protections from criminal or civil prosecution, including in Massachusetts.
Dr. Angel Foster is the co-founder of the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project, one of several telehealth providers that facilitate abortions from afar in states with bans and she told tells us more about how the shield law changed the way women got their care. “Sixteen million people who will lose care. The ripple effect of these health care cuts will drown hospitals, community health centers, and nursing homes across the country. For those living in rural areas, these cuts will have devastating consequences for health outcomes and costs and cost, jobs, and economic success in rural communities,” Markey explained.
Markey said the cuts could lead to patients having to wait longer for emergency services when they call 911 or force other patients to have to travel farther for care, which can become deadly in an emergency.
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