Abortion Care Terrorists on the Loose

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Jul 17, 2023

Happy Monday Healthcare Advocates

I would like to encourage comments and suggestions from you if you have time. If there is a special topic you’d like to see please let me know. Please use the comment button below.

The image above came from Democracy Labs and indicates some of the potential risks when private medical records are taken by law enforcement. Click anywhere to view risks but you may have to zoom out a bit to seem them all.

Health Claims Denials (Still in Work)

Recently, a reader of this newsletter, requested healthcare claims denial data for Washington State. What was sought was the volume of denials, hopefully by each company doing business in the state. After a number of conversations with the Insurance Commissioner’s staff, the request was denied. Make no mistake, they have the data. We do not want denial specifics, just the number per year.

We will be filing the Washington State equivalent of a Freedom of Information Act Request (per RCW 42.56), to try and obtain the data.

At the federal level (for ACA compliant plans) the country wide average is 18% of all claims are denied. When appealed, decisions are reversed 80% of the time.

Your Private Medical Records Now Public

Two cases of Republican Attorneys General demanding medical records have come to light in the past few weeks. Thanks to Democracy Labs for data.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) Wants Info On Out-of-State Abortions – Mississippi Free Press and
Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti (R) is seeking patient referrals, doctors records in Vanderbilt University Medical Center transgender clinic inquiry – The Tennessean.

We reported on #2 last week. Let’s look at Mississippi.

The US Department of Health and Human Services is evaluating a proposed rule that would prevent states from obtaining private health information “for a criminal, civil, or administrative investigation into or proceeding against any person in connection with seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating reproductive health care … outside of the state where the investigation or proceeding is authorized” and “is lawful in the state where it is provided.” Mississippi Free Press

Mississippi Attorney General Fitch has sent a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra asking that the rule not be implemented and it is cosigned by attorneys general from 18 other states.

So there are 19 States that want private medical records to either prosecute people who cross state lines for abortion care, or their doctors, or providers (in state or out of state) or all of them. We have already seen police in Nebraska obtain private text messages between a woman and her daughter regarding abortion pills be used as evidence to prosecute in court and many states have laws on the books to punish patients, the out of state medical providers, and those who may assist in abortion care in the state. If this isn’t the fascist state I don’t know what is.

Here are the 19 states that signed on to the letter. Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah.

Today Republicans want to take rights away from women and punish medical providers and even friends and relatives who help them.

This is a terror campaign to intimidate women, girls, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists into submission. This is not what a large majority of Americans want. This is what fascists want.

ACTIONS (3 Today)

The first thing to do is vote out those that take such actions. Vote for people who respect the rights of others. Period.
If you live in any of the 19 states above you can use this link to get the phone number/email for the attorney general and tell them to stop this campaign of terror and intimidation against women and healthcare providers who need medical abortion care.
Let’s email Xavier Becerra (xavier.becerra@hhs.gov) and tell him to implement the rule that protects patient medical records of those seeking abortion and to ignore Attorney General Fitch’s threats of intimidation of women, girls and medical providers.

Sample text below - make sure to include your name, city and state

Subject: HHS Rule Protecting Medical Patient Records from Law Enforcement

Mr. Becerra,

My name is [name] and I live in [city, state]. Please implement the rule that protects patient records of those seeking abortion care from law enforcement who want to prosecute them or their doctors or those who help them. This campaign of terror and intimidation has got to stop.

Thank you.