Biden administration finalizes abortion privacy protections

WASHINGTON — Biden officials are still pressing to shore up abortion protections amid an onslaught of legal challenges, one of which is slated for Supreme Court arguments this week.

The Department of Health and Human Services on Monday released a final rule that would put abortion services under the same federal privacy protections as other health care data covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. The rule effectively allows providers to deny access to health care data that could be used to prosecute people in abortion-restrictive states.

The regulation is designed to help patients and doctors in abortion-restrictive states protect information, specifically about out-of-state travel to receive care. More than 90,000 people traveled across state lines for abortion care in the first half of 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Financial aid for travel also helped grassroots organizations’ spending triple during that time.

STAT+ Exclusive Story

Already have an account? Log in

This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers

Unlock this article — plus daily intelligence on Capitol Hill and the life sciences industry — by subscribing to STAT+.

Already have an account? Log in

Individual plans

Group plans

Monthly

$39

Totals $468 per year

$39/month Get Started

Totals $468 per year

Starter

$30

for 3 months, then $399/year

$30 for 3 months Get Started

Then $399/year

Annual

$399

Save 15%

$399/year Get Started

Save 15%

11+ Users

Custom

Savings start at 25%!

Request A Quote Request A Quote

Savings start at 25%!

2-10 Users

$300

Annually per user

$300/year Get Started

$300 Annually per user

View All Plans

To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+.

Subscribe

Log In