State bill could add to abortion restrictions

Revised abortion legislation, which will add further restrictions on physicians, has passed the Indiana State Senate and is now on its way to the House of Representatives.

If made law, Senate Bill 292 will require doctors who handle medical complications or emergencies to file with the Indiana State Department of Health.

In 2011, a law was passed requiring any doctor who performs abortions in the state to have admitting privileges to a hospital or to have a backup physician who can handle potential problems. With the revised bill, the information on which hospitals a doctor can admit patients to and their supporting physicians could become public record.

Sponsored by Sen. John Waterman, R-Shelburn, SB 292 passed the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee at the end of January with an 8-2 vote. The bill then passed the full Senate 34-14 and will be assigned to a house committee today.
 
“The main reason I authored this bill is to provide a safety net for women who have abortions,” Waterman said in an email. “The bill makes small changes that would provide women with information they might need if they face medical complications after an abortion.”

Requiring hospital admission privileges to be in writing will increase accountability for those who perform abortions, he said in the email.

Many fear this regulation will only open up more doctors to harassment, said Betty Cockrum, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky.

Abortion clinics and their doctors in Indiana are subjected to harassment, and bringing more doctors into the public eye will add new targets, Cockrum said. Last April, a man attacked the Bloomington Planned Parenthood with an axe, causing extensive damage.

“These are real threats, and we are worried these doctors who don’t even provide abortions will be subjected to this,” said Tammy Lieber, director of marketing and communication for Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky.

Testifying in front of the Senate committee in January for Indiana Right to Life, Cindy Noe said making this information public will ensure that women who have abortions know where they can go for any follow-up care or in emergencies, according to a story by the Indianapolis Star.

Indiana Right to Life did not respond to IDS interview requests.

Cockrum said these revisions do nothing to enhance patient safety, especially since abortion procedures already have a low incident rate. In Indiana, 98 percent of abortions are in the first trimester and require follow-up care less than .10 percent of the time, she said.

Sen. Mark Stoops, D-Bloomington, who voted against the bill in the committee hearing, said he feels this is another attempt by Republicans to limit abortion services for women.

“This has nothing to do with the health of women,” Stoops said. “This bill is totally focused on intimidating physicians who provide abortions and to limit the access to family planning.”

Stoops and Cockrum both said if legislators really cared about women’s health, the focus would be on family planning and sex education. Indiana is ranked 49 for access to family planning, Stoops said.

Cockrum said that’s why, above all else, Planned Parenthood focuses on
making sure people are informed. The organization wants kids to understand what it means to become sexually active, she said, and how to be safe.

“We want pregnancies to be planned. We want families and households to thrive,” Cockrum said. “All of this can lower the amount of abortions. You don’t stop it by these restrictions.”

Follow reporter Jake Wright on Twitter @fljwright.