Health Care
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Health Care
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Florida justices critical of abortion measure challenge |
The seven justices on Florida’s Supreme Court appeared skeptical Wednesday of the state’s challenge to a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion protections into the state constitution.
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© Annabelle Gordon, The Hill |
Attorney General
Ashley Moody (R) has been aggressively fighting against the measure. Along with anti-abortion groups, the state argued the ballot language is unclear and misleading, and the court should disqualify it.
Abortion rights advocates who are behind the initiative are confident that the measure will make it on the ballot, and legal experts say the topic
shouldn’t matter. The court is only supposed to consider whether the question is about a single subject and whether the language accurately describes what the amendment will do.
The measure would roll back the state’s current 15-week abortion ban and make abortion legal to the point of viability outside the womb, which is about 24 weeks. It would also block a
potential six-week ban that has yet to take effect but is looming on the horizon pending a separate state Supreme Court case.
If the measure makes it on to the ballot in November and passes with 60 percent of the vote, it would deal a significant blow to the conservative legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who passed the bans.
During oral arguments, Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz made it clear he was not swayed by the state’s argument that the measure would confuse voters.
“The people of Florida aren’t stupid. They can figure this out,” he said.
While Muñiz and other justices signaled they were personally opposed to the measure, there was broad agreement that the 75-word summary describes just what the amendment would do if it passed.
“There’s no possible way a summary could tick through all these different variables and possible implications. … The summary says what it says. People can see for themselves if it’s too broad or vague or whatever,” Muñiz said.
Still, the justices implied that even if the ballot measure passes, the court will have ultimate say over its limits.
“There’s going to be debates about what are the gaps and what can the legislature do,” Muñiz said, adding later that if the amendment becomes part of the state constitution, it will be “litigated forever.” |
Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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Ohio’s Health Department on Wednesday said it was striking a number of provisions that would have limited access to gender-affirming medical care for transgender adults in the state from a set of proposed administrative rules, citing a deluge of public comments opposing the restrictions. “The Department is grateful to those individuals and organizations who took time to offer comments as we seek to adopt rules to protect Ohio’s … |
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The medical debt nonprofit RIP Medical Debt will be abolishing medical debt for thousands in Alabama’s Black Belt region thanks to a partnership made possible by former Gov. Don Siegelman (D). The partnership will relieve a total of $4,193,799.11 for 5,411 residents in Alabama, according to Siegelman. This debt was bought out by RIP Medical Debt through a donation of roughly $24,000 from local entrepreneur Bart McCorquodale, … |
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The Biden administration is pressing pharmacies to ensure that patients with COVID-19 are not being charged thousands of dollars for Paxlovid. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra met virtually this week with CEOs from Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Kroger, as well as trade group leaders, to discuss the importance of pharmacist education and clear, accurate communication to patients about the costs of … |
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Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching: |
- The
Senate HELP Committee holds a hearing Thursday with CEOs of Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Bristol Meyers Squibb.
- The
Senate Finance Committee on Thursday will look at artificial intelligence in health care.
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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Minnesota and Eli Lilly settle insulin price-gouging lawsuit. Deal will hold costs to $35 a month |
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota has reached a settlement with Eli Lilly and Co. in a price gouging lawsuit against the country’s three biggest insulin manufacturers that guarantees that Minnesotans can now buy Lilly-produced insulin for only $35 a month for the next five years, Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Wednesday. … |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
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Bill could sell Utah State Hospital land for development, maybe even a ski resort (FOX 13)
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New York spends millions on mental health street teams. Do they work? (The New York Times)
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Lawmakers seek answers from Blue Cross over controversial proposed sale (NOLA.com)
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Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets: |
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Ditch that plastic container, study says. Plastics linked to thousands of preterm births. (USA Today)
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Health officials ask for bids to run revamped organ transplant system (Axios)
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What the 2024 State of State addresses tell us about the 2028 presidential race (Politico)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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A former attorney for the Trump White House predicts that the Supreme Court will rule unanimously against the 45th president on his claims to be immune … Read more |
| The Fulton County district attorney’s office asked a Georgia judge Wednesday to quash subpoenas of top prosecutors in former President Trump’s 2020 …
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