Biden moves to shield patients’ abortion records from GOP threats

April 26, 2024admin

Biden moves to shield patients’ abortion records from GOP threats

The Biden administration on Monday announced new rules intended to protect the privacy of patients seeking abortions, and the health workers who may have provided them, from Republican prosecutors who have threatened to crack down on the procedure.

The rules strengthen a nearly 30-year-old health privacy law — known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA — to offer more robust legal protections to those who obtain or provide reproductive health care in a state where it is legal to do so. The final policy prohibits physicians, insurers and other health-care organizations from disclosing health information to state officials for the purposes of conducting an investigation, filing a lawsuit or prosecuting a patient or provider. It covers women who cross state lines to legally terminate a pregnancy and those who qualify for an exception to their state’s abortion ban, such as in cases of rape, incest or a medical emergency.

Under previous rules, organizations were allowed to disclose private medical information to law enforcement in certain cases, such as a criminal investigation. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services said they had heard from patients and providers who were confused about their legal risks or had even deferred care amid GOP threats in the nearly two dozen states with abortion restrictions.

“People feel scared to confide in their providers. People are worried in this new climate about how their medical information might be used,” said Melanie Fontes Rainer, director of the civil rights office at HHS, which revamped the rules. “The goal here is to reinstate trust into the provider medical relationship. … The goal here is that people don’t stay home if they’re too scared to get care.”

Monday’s announcement is the latest effort by the Biden administration intended to safeguard reproductive health care,

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Health Care

March 4, 2024admin

Threats to health care sector targets likely to stay ‘elevated’ amid cultural wars: DHS

Threats to health care locations and those who work there are surging and are likely to stay “elevated,” as a result of cultural and divisive issues like abortion, gender-related care and a hangover from debates caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, federal intelligence analysts said.

The brew of hot-button socio-medical issues litigated both in the public square and in the courts will “amplify the health care sector’s visibility as a potential target for attack” by domestic extremists, according to a new briefing memo issued by the Department of Homeland Security on Feb. 26.

PHOTO: The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — An exterior view of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Building in Washington D.C., United States on January 5, 2023. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Anadolu Agency

The confidential analysis, obtained by ABC News, describes a diverse array of dangers these mounting threats could pose: from harm to patients through compromised care, to causing a chilling effect on clinicians through harassment and intimidation, to ideologically motivated cyber attacks targeting health care providers and networks.

“Violent extremist threats against the health care and public health sector have diversified since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, and will likely remain elevated in the post-pandemic era due to the expansion of medical-related ideological grievances,” the DHS bulletin said.

PHOTO: The U.S. Department of Justice seal on a podium in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Aug. 5, 2021. — The U.S. Department of Justice seal on a podium in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Aug. 5, 2021.

Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE

A recent “escalation in threats of violence targeting health care facilities and personnel” has included “hoax bomb threats against hospitals, attempts to incite violence through doxing [public release of personal information like addresses and phone numbers] and calls to execute particular physicians, public officials, or pharmaceutical executives,” the bulletin said.

The “surge” in threats

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Health Care

January 27, 2024admin

WHO and partners bring fuel to Al-Shifa, as remaining hospitals in Gaza face growing threats

WHO and partners completed another high-risk mission on Monday to resupply fuel to the Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people remain cut off from aid. Across the Gaza Strip, the few remaining hospitals find themselves in ever more dire circumstances, with hostilities often preventing access for patients and supplies, and health workers managing on little rest and scarce supplies.

The mission was carried out along with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Department of Safety and Security, and Médecins Sans Frontières.

The last humanitarian mission to northern Gaza took place on 12 January.

Yesterday‘s mission, which delivered 19 000 liters of fuel to Al-Shifa Hospital, faced delays at the checkpoint. The roads leading to the hospital were severely damaged, and the desperation in northern Gaza was apparent, as thousands of civilians surrounded the UN vehicles and fuel truck in the hopes of finding food and water, also delaying the mission.

In Al-Shifa Hospital, the mission saw that the functionality has improved since the last visit ten days ago. A significant decrease in the number of displaced people, from 40 000 to 10 000 was observed. There are 120 health and care workers, and 300 patients. The hospital conducts 5-10 surgeries daily, mainly trauma cases that require immediate care.

Essential services such as basic laboratory and radiological facilities remain operational, along with emergency care, a surgical unit with three operation theaters, post-operative care, and a dialysis unit. There are plans to reopen a 9-bed ICU over the coming days.

There are no maternity or pediatric services, and shortages of specialized doctors, medicines, and medical supplies such as orthopedic equipment. These units could become operational again, but will require a consistent supply of fuel, oxygen, medical supplies, and other aid.

The hospital’s

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Health Care

May 1, 2023admin

Nurses organize to champion contract demands, raise awareness over ‘threats’ to public health care

Nurses are expected to gather across Ontario for a “community day of action” to champion their contract demands and raise awareness over what they say are threats to Ontario’s publicly-funded hospital and health care system.

The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) has been calling for an improved contract for some 60,000 members in the hospital sector since talks started earlier this year. In March, talks between the union and the Ontario Hospital Association ended without an agreement, sending the parties to arbitration expected to start sometime early next month.

“Simply put, our patients need and deserve better care,” ONA interim provincial president Bernie Robinson, who is also a registered nurse, said in a news release.

“The failure to properly invest in our public hospital system is hurting those who rely on quality care.”

ONA represents 68,000 registered nurses and 18,000 nursing student affiliates. It says the community events planned for Sunday are also aimed at educating the public on how the Doug Ford government’s policy on hospital and health care is hurting Ontarians — particularly taking aim at the province’s recent move to start expanding care, such as some surgeries and procedures, in private and for-profit clinics.

“As front-line nurses and health-care professionals, we’re informing people of the threats to their health care and making it easy for them to take steps to bring back better care for all,” said Robinson.

CBC Toronto has reached out to the province and the Ontario Hospital Association, which represents 140 public hospitals, for comment. Back in March, when nurses organized a separate demonstration, Ford commented on the province’s relationship with nurses.

“We love our nurses. We know the dedication. They go in day in and day out,” Ford said when criticized by the official opposition on its treatment of nurses.

“We’re going to continue

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Tag: threats