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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box 53313
1921 Florida Ave NW
Washington, DC 20009-9997
Candy Tai
Communications Manager
Doctors for America
[email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C—July 8, 2022. Doctors for America (DFA), supports the Executive Order protecting access to reproductive health care services. Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court of The United States took many of these reproductive health care services rights away from women. This represents the first time that the Court has taken away a recognized individual liberty. It also represents a major intrusion in the patient-physician relationship and represents an intrusion on women’s bodily autonomy.
DFA’s Health Justice and Equity Impact Area applauds the Administration’s work to protect a ruling that disproportionately affects persons of color, low-income persons, and persons living in rural communities.
The Executive Order builds on the actions the Administration has already taken to defend reproductive rights, which is a starting point. In addition, we would also like the Administration to consider supporting and amplifying:
- Doctors for America’s FDA Task Force will be focusing on specific agency-related actions to protect access to medication abortion and reproductive health services, which we’ll be discussing with legislators virtually during the week of July 11, 2022.
- Safeguarding access to reproductive health care services, including abortion and contraception, along with access to medication abortion, emergency contraception, long-acting contraception is as widely available as possible. The Attorney-General maintains a commitment to fight any attack by a state or local official who attempts to interfere with persons exercising their right to travel out of state for medical care.
- Protecting patient’s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and protected health information (PHI) rights during care related to abortion and other sexual and reproductive health care to ensure doctors and medical providers and health insurance carriers know that they are not required – with limited exceptions – to disclose patients’ private information.
- Promoting the safety and security of patients, providers, and clinics; and
- Coordinating the implementation of Federal efforts to protect reproductive freedom and access to healthcare.
This is an important first step to ensure that critical access to reproductive health care services is protected for millions of persons in America and to protect and promote our healthcare professionals as they work to provide vital healthcare to their patients.
Doctors for America looks forward to working with the Administration and HHS Secretary Becerra to protect access to abortion, reproductive health services, and patient privacy.
About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. We are 27,000 physicians and medical students in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies; which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter @drsforamerica.
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