States sue Obama over contraception rule: “A coalition of seven state attorneys general has joined with a nun, a Catholic missionary and three Roman Catholic organizations to file a federal lawsuit in Lincoln, Neb., asking a judge to strike down HHS’ final rule that requires insurance plans to cover government-approved contraceptives.” The lawsuit alleges that the requirement violates three clauses of the First Amendment. [Modern Healthcare] [Read the lawsuit]
Michelle Obama campaigns for health reform: “First lady Michelle Obama yesterday urged supporters to rally around her husband’s re-election campaign or risk seeing his presidency’s health-care overhaul and other policy changes “ slip away.” “Now there are some folks talking about repealing that reform,” she said. “Are we going to let that happen? Are we going to allow children to be denied health care coverage who have cancer or other serious diseases? We can’t do that.” [Columbus Dispatch]
Texas cuts off funding to Planned Parenthood: “At the direction of lawmakers and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Texas Health and Human Services commissioner signed a rule on Thursday that formally bans Planned Parenthood clinics and other “affiliates of abortion providers” from participating in the program — something the Obama administration has said is a deal-breaker for the nearly $40 million-per-year state-federal Medicaid program. [Texas Tribune]
Judge says govt can’t make pharmacies sell Plan B: “In a ruling that appears headed toward appeal, a federal judge has ruled that Washington state cannot force pharmacies to sell Plan B or other emergency contraceptives.” [AP]
Mississippi to push anti-abortion measures: “Mississippi’s Republican governor and House speaker told abortion opponents Thursday that they’ll support several proposals this year to put new restrictions on the procedure. “We want Mississippi to be abortion-free,” Gov. Phil Bryant said during a Capitol news conference hosted by the Pro Life America Network. [AP]
Florida approves 24-hour abortion waiting period: “A House committee approved along party lines an anti-abortion measure that would impose a 24-hour waiting period and restrict ownership of new abortion clinics to doctors who specialized in abortion procedures during their residency.” [Palm Beach Post]
GOP delaying ACA implementation in Kansas and Missouri: “Kansas and Missouri are almost certain to miss an end-of-the-year deadline for establishing a key component of the nation’s health care law — health insurance “exchanges” where individuals and businesses can compare and purchase coverage. But conservative Republican lawmakers — concerned that the exchanges are an implicit endorsement of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act — have blocked further implementation of the exchanges. Those delays, experts said, mean Kansas and Missouri won’t have their exchanges ready for federal government review by January 2013.” [Kansas City Star]
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