Indiana’s new law which aims to take Medicaid money from Planned Parenthood has been put on hold by a federal judge who doesn’t believe the restrictions will pass muster in the end.
Two articles I’ve come across are attacking the law from the perspective of doctors at two Indiana hospitals who have stopped doing abortions because they’re afraid the new law prohibits them from doing abortions if they also receive Medicaid funding.
Only Hospitals Are Exempt—Not Doctors
Heather Gillers, writing for The Indianapolis Star published “A Law of Unintended Consequences”. Gillers writes that doctors at Indiana University and Wishard Hospitals fear they don’t fall under the law’s “hospital” exemption. However, the next sentence indicates that these doctors may have overreacted, since both the author of the bill and the state Medicaid agency disagree with this interpretation.
But I love this line in a story by Indianapolis’ local Fox affiliate:
Senator Schneider said the bill exempted hospitals, but that is where doctors and some lawmakers disagree. The bill exempts hospitals from performing abortions, not the doctors who actually perform the procedures. (emphasis added)
Seriously?
The doctors are concerned that only the building is allowed to do abortions, not the people who work in the building? I’d like to see a hospital pick up a scalpel and start doing surgeries…
(To be fair, Gillers states that the doctors’ practices are private and they are “not technically employed by the hospitals,” leading to their fears of not fitting under the exemption.)
Abortions Not Available in Indiana?
But the article offers additional interesting tidbits. Like this line by Gillers which nearly defies explanation:
These doctors — and likely many others — had to choose from a limited range of treatment options or send patients out of state for terminations after the law took effect May 10.
Does Gillers think these doctors don’t have the skills to actually care for their patients, and that killing their babies is the best treatment that can be offered? Indiana University boasts about the great care they provide to mothers and babies, including a Level Two Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I don’t suppose either the doctors or the hospital appreciate having their care referred to as “limited.”
More importantly: Does Gillers think no one in Indiana performs abortions anymore? Because that’s what that sentence says—that doctors must send women out of state if they want to get abortions!
But just because taxpayers aren’t being required to pay for them doesn’t mean abortions aren’t being done in Indiana (too bad, huh?). In fact, four Planned Parenthood locations in Indiana are still ready, willing, and able to kill those babies. I even called to confirm. The receptionist assured me that they’re still doing abortions up to 13 weeks and 3 days at her location, right there in Indianapolis.
Problems Abound
The more I look over these articles, the more issues I see that need to be addressed. I’ll stop here for now, though, while I wait for a few additional calls to be returned.
I want to know about the 70 women to whom the hospitals couldn’t “offer” abortions. And I want to follow up on this quote from Pam Perry, director of public and media relations at the IU School of Medicine:
“Yes,” she said, “it has had an impact on their [doctors’] ability to provide care to a significant group of patients.”
So, more to come!
