Biden signs second executive order to safeguard abortion access

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday that aims to support patients who travel out of state for abortion services and ensure health care providers adhere to federal nondiscrimination laws.

The executive order also seeks to promote research and data collection to investigate the impact that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has had on women’s health.

According to a statement from the White House, the executive order directs HHS to consider action to expand access to reproductive health services, including through Medicaid, for patients who travel out of state for these services.

It also directs HHS “to consider all appropriate actions to ensure health care providers comply with federal nondiscrimination laws so that women receive medically necessary care without delay,” the release said. These actions may include offering technical assistance to health care providers who are unsure of their responsibilities in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling; gathering providers to inform them of their responsibilities and potential consequences of noncompliance to nondiscrimination laws; and providing additional guidance or taking other actions “in response to any complaints or reports of noncompliance with federal nondiscrimination laws.”

During the signing, Biden applauded voters in Kansas who recently rejected a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have stated that abortion was not a right in the state.

“Voters made it clear that politicians should not interfere with the fundamental rights of women,” he said.

This is the second executive order that the president has signed following the Supreme Court’s decision. The initial executive order directed efforts to safeguard access to abortion and contraception, protect patients’ privacy and support the safety of patients, providers and clinics.

“Under federal law, no woman, whether pregnant or not, no matter where she lives, should be turned away or denied necessary treatment during a medical crisis,” Biden said.

In response to the new executive order, ACP President Ryan D. Mire, MD, FACP, issued a statement to say that the organization is appreciative but “more is needed to ensure that all Americans have access to needed medical services.”

“We continue to call for federal and state policymakers to restore protections for individuals providing and receiving evidence-based medical care,” Mire said. “We must find a way to work together to restore access to reproductive services, protect the patient-physician relationship, fight against legislative interference in evidence-based health care, and denounce the concept of criminalization in providing health care for the patients we serve.”

*Editor’s note: This article was updated to include comments from the president of the ACP.

References:

Fact sheet: President Biden issues executive order at the first meeting of the Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/03/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-at-the-first-meeting-of-the-task-force-on-reproductive-healthcare-access-2/. Published Aug. 3, 2022. Accessed Aug. 3, 2022.

Internal medicine physicians support administration’s efforts to secure access to reproductive health care, but more is needed. https://www.acponline.org/acp-newsroom/internal-medicine-physicians-support-administrations-efforts-to-secure-access-to-reproductive-health. Published Aug. 4, 2022. Accessed Aug. 4, 2022.