Ala. House Approves Bills on Abortion Coverage, Clinics Standards
May 11, 2012 — The Alabama House on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow the state to restrict insurance coverage of abortion in certain health plans, sending the measure to Gov. Robert Bentley (R), the AP/Gadsden Times reports (AP/Gadsden Times, 5/8). Under the bill, health plans in the state's health insurance exchange would be prohibited from covering abortion care in most circumstances (Women's Health Policy Report, 5/4).
On Wednesday, the House approved a bill that would require abortion clinics to meet the same standards as outpatient health centers, sending the legislation to the Senate (AP/WTVM, 5/10).
The bill also would mandate that physicians who provide abortion care have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital and take part in before and after care of the patient. In some cases, clinics would have to report the names of minors who seek abortion care and the person suspected to be the father (Women's Health Policy Report, 5/4).
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Repro Health Watch — an exciting new edition of the Women’s Health Policy Report — compiles and distributes media coverage of proposed and enacted state laws and ballot initiatives affecting women's access to comprehensive reproductive health care, as well as litigation in response to those provisions.
