Today's action comes as reproductive rights continue to face unprecedented attacks across the country following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade. While President Trump and state legislatures continue to push abortion bans, Massachusetts has strengthened protections for patients and providers and expanded access to reproductive health care. This legislation builds on those efforts by ensuring patients can continue to receive compassionate, medically appropriate care in Massachusetts during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
“I've heard heartbreaking stories from women and families who were preparing to welcome a healthy baby into their family, only to receive devastating news later in their pregnancy. Instead of being able to rely on the doctors they knew and trusted at home, they were forced to travel hundreds of miles and pay out of their pockets while navigating unimaginable grief,” said Governor Healey. “That should never happen in Massachusetts. This law continues our efforts to have the strongest abortion protections in the country because in Massachusetts, we believe health care decisions should be made between women and their doctors.”
“Families facing devastating pregnancy complications deserve compassion, support and the ability to receive care from the doctors they know and trust,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This law ensures more patients can get medically appropriate care close to home while giving physicians the clarity they need to make the best decisions for their patients. It's another step forward in ensuring Massachusetts remains a place where patients can access the high-quality reproductive health care they deserve.”
“As a physician, I know nothing should get between a patient, a doctor, and a health care decision,” said Secretary Kiame Mahaniah, MD, MBA. “In signing this bill into law, Governor Healey is making sure that those decisions get made where they belong – in a physician’s office. I am grateful for her continued leadership and for protecting reproductive health care and abortion access for the people of Massachusetts.”
The legislation updates Massachusetts' abortion law by allowing physicians to rely on their professional medical judgment, consistent with accepted standards of care, when providing abortion care later in pregnancy. The law is intended to ensure that patients facing devastating fetal diagnoses, serious pregnancy complications or other complex medical circumstances can receive timely care without unnecessary legal uncertainty.
Patients affected by this are often experiencing deeply wanted pregnancies that have suddenly become medically complex. They are families who have prepared to welcome a child only to receive heartbreaking news that their pregnancy is no longer viable or that continuing the pregnancy would pose serious medical risks. Under prior law, some Massachusetts patients were forced to leave the state to receive care, separating them from their doctors, support systems and loved ones while navigating one of the most painful experiences imaginable.
“No person should have to make the hardest decision of their life without the support and care of their own doctor," said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "With the Governor's signature today, we are making clear that if you need reproductive care in Massachusetts, you can get it close to your home, in the state with the best medical care in the world, with a health care provider you trust. I applaud Senator Kennedy for her unwavering advocacy for this legislation, my Senate colleagues for their support, the advocates who raised their voices, our colleagues in the House for their partnership, and the Governor for her signature today.”
“This legislation is about ensuring that in Massachusetts, reproductive health care decisions are made exclusively by the patient and her doctor — unencumbered by a legal framework that, in practice, isn’t always capable of accounting for the complexity and uncertainty inherent to pregnancy-related health care,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “These reforms will ensure that Massachusetts remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting a woman’s right to choose. I want to thank Governor Healey for signing these important reforms into law, as well as my colleagues in the House, and our partners in the Senate, for working to uplift the voices of women who have endured unimaginable hardships during their pregnancies.”
Under the previous law, physicians were required to determine whether a patient's circumstances met a narrow list of statutory exceptions before providing abortion care later in pregnancy. The new law replaces that framework with a standard that allows physicians to exercise their professional medical judgment in accordance with accepted standards of care, providing greater clarity for providers caring for patients with complex medical needs. The legislation also removes outdated reporting and facility requirements that providers said created unnecessary barriers to care.
“As the Trump Administration ramps up attacks on reproductive care and abortion access nationwide, Massachusetts must continue closing gaps in care so that women have full autonomy over the care they need, when and where they need it,” said Senator Robyn Kennedy (D-Worcester), Senate sponsor of the bill. “The Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act, ensures Massachusetts patients do not have to leave the Commonwealth to get the care they need, and empowers physicians to support their patients throughout their pregnancies. Thank you to all the advocates who have brought this bill to fruition, especially the women who have shared their experiences.”
"Throughout relentless attacks on reproductive rights, Massachusetts has prioritized the fundamental rights and health care of its residents," said Representative Christine Barber, House sponsor of the bill. "This law ensures access to care by empowering physicians to use their professional judgment to make decisions in the best interest of their patients. Pregnancy is complex, and I am grateful the House advanced this bill to eliminate barriers and guarantee medical expertise as the standard of care. It comes down to a simple, but powerful conviction: decisions about abortion care must remain between a patient and their provider. No one else. Today, we show our commitment to protecting the rights of our residents of the Commonwealth."
“Today, Massachusetts has reaffirmed a fundamental principle: medical decisions should be made by patients and their doctors, period. In a state with one of the strongest health care systems in the country, no one should be denied medically appropriate care because of arbitrary restrictions that cannot account for individual circumstances,” said Representative Lindsay Sabadosa, House sponsor of the bill. “By removing those barriers, we are ensuring that Massachusetts remains a place where people can access the care they need, when they need it, without being forced to leave the Commonwealth.
Governor Healey has consistently taken action to protect reproductive freedom and strengthen access to reproductive health care. Since taking office, she has signed one of the nation's strongest Shield Laws to protect patients and providers, safeguarded access to medication abortion and continued to ensure Massachusetts remains a national leader in protecting reproductive rights.
沒有留言:
發佈留言