In the wake of the Supreme Court of the United States overturning Roe v. Wade, John Baackes, the CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan, wrote to the California Legislature asking them to move quickly to protect reproductive rights. Baackes specifically asked state lawmakers to support eight pieces of legislation that are currently under consideration.
This letter comes just a little more than a week after the Board of Governors for L.A. Care, the largest publicly operated plan in the country, approved a resolution in support of abortion rights. The Board and Baackes believe reproductive rights, including the right to access an abortion, are grounded in human rights. They also believe that abortion and contraception are essential healthcare that all should be able to access.
California has led the way in protecting the right to choose, and the eight bills would offer even greater protections for providers and patients, including for those coming to California from states that have restricted reproductive rights.
Baackes believes California must continue to lead the way, and is urging support for the following:
AB 1242: Will shield California healthcare providers from criminal liability in another state for actions that take place in this state.
AB 2091: Enhances privacy protections for medical records related to abortion care against disclosures to law enforcement and out-of-state third parties seeking to enforce hostile abortion bans in other states.
AB 2134: Provides grant funding to safety net providers of abortion and contraception services.
AB 2320: Requires the California Health and Human Services agency to establish a pilot program to direct funds to primary care clinics that provide reproductive health care services in five counties that agree to participate.
AB 2586: Requires the California Department of Public Health to convene a working group to examine the root causes of reproductive health and sexual health inequities in the state, and submit a report to the Legislature with recommendations on how to meaningfully address and eliminate reproductive health and sexual health inequities.
AB 2626: Prevents licensing boards from suspending or revoking the certificate of a physician, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or a physician assistant who performs an abortion in accordance with the provisions of their practice act and the Reproductive Privacy Act.