Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra traveled to Phoenix this week to announce a new rule that will provide a veil of secrecy for women who obtain abortions.
Becerra hosted a press conference at Planned Parenthood Arizona (PPAZ) in Phoenix to spread the word about the new HHS rule modifying HIPAA protections to cover abortions.
“This rule will protect your lawful reproductive healthcare from disclosure of information,” said Becerra. “It will require a signed attestation by that provider of care that if they’re going to release your private information, it is not being done in contravention of this rule, which protects your reproductive healthcare information.”
The secretary also criticized Arizona’s total abortion ban as “archaic,” which was law from when the state was still a territory up until the Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade. The ban goes into effect on June 8.
“As states like Arizona continue to grapple with archaic abortion laws, we’ll do whatever we can to have your back,” said Becerra.
One day after we announced a rule to protect the privacy of women seeking reproductive health care, I was at @PPArizona in Phoenix to meet with patients and staff.
As states like Arizona continue to grapple with archaic abortion laws, we’ll do whatever we can to have your back. pic.twitter.com/uyf9S6h3JI
— Secretary Xavier Becerra (@SecBecerra) April 23, 2024
HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) announced the new final rule on Monday, “HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy,” which qualifies abortion procedures as protected health information (PHI) and bars health care providers from disclosing that PHI in order to identify abortion patients or contribute to any criminal, civil, or administrative investigations.
HHS cited interstate travel for abortion procedures as an example of PHI going into effect, as well as those procedures already protected, required, or authorized by federal law regardless of state law.
“For example, if a resident of one state traveled to another state to receive reproductive health care, such as an abortion, that is lawful in the state where such health care was provided,” stated HHS.
OCR Director Melanie Fontes Rainer — who earned her JD from University of Arizona — emphasized that aspect of the new rule in an accompanying press release.
“Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, providers have shared concerns that when patients travel to their clinics for lawful care, their patients’ records will be sought, including when the patient goes home. Patients and providers are scared, and it impedes their ability to get and to provide accurate information and access safe and legal health care,” said Rainer. “Today’s rule prohibits the use of protected health information for seeking or providing lawful reproductive health care and helps maintain and improve patient-provider trust that will lead to improved health outcomes and protect patient privacy.”
Today, HHS announced a rule that prevents the weaponization of your medical information when you are, say, undergoing IVF, receiving support for miscarriage management, or seeking other lawful care.
We’re making it clear: you have the right to privacy—Dobbs did not take it away. pic.twitter.com/FNudBYSkHW
— Secretary Xavier Becerra (@SecBecerra) April 22, 2024
As written, the rule may also shield women who mail-order abortion pills.
The final rule also requires anyone requesting PHI potentially related to abortion procedures for health oversight activities, judicial and administrative proceedings, law enforcement purposes, and coroner and medical examiner disclosures to provide a signed attestation that the use or disclosure of the PHI wouldn’t be used to impose criminal, civil, or administrative liability on the woman who received an abortion.
In the press release, Becerra said that the lack of privacy protections had discouraged women from seeking abortion care.
“This has a chilling effect on women visiting a doctor, picking up a prescription from a pharmacy, or taking other necessary actions to support their health,” said Becerra. “The Biden-Harris Administration is providing stronger protections to people seeking lawful reproductive health care regardless of whether the care is in their home state or if they must cross state lines to get it.”
so can you become a baby mill for implantation parts? Pregnant and abort for harvest – anonymous parts downer for parts harvesting – implant and repeat – your a factory ? Planned parenthood becomes planned parts department – young hearts – kidney – eyes – skin – bone graft – cells – marrow… no end to harvest business this could generate…
In Matthew 5:21-26 Jesus said, “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.
‘Abortion care’. Such an oxymoron. Killing babies isn’t any kind of ‘care’.
“This rule will protect your lawful reproductive healthcare from disclosure of information,” said Becerra. “It will require a signed attestation by that provider of care that if they’re going to release your private information, it is not being done in contravention of this rule, which protects your reproductive healthcare information.”
This sounds like double talk to me. Your personal information will be kept private until we release it? Perhaps I’m missing something here…