Health Journal Online

Tag: Lifesaving

  • Republican Anti-Abortion Bill May Block Access to Chemotherapy, Life-Saving Surgeries in Wyoming: Report

    Republican Anti-Abortion Bill May Block Access to Chemotherapy, Life-Saving Surgeries in Wyoming: Report

    A Republican-led bill seeking to challenge abortion access may also block access to chemotherapy and life-saving surgeries in Wyoming, according to a report.

    According to the bill, Senate File 125, “No act, treatment or procedure that causes harm to the heart, respiratory system, central nervous system, brain, skeletal system, jointed or muscled appendages or organ function shall be construed as healthcare.”

    Although the bill is intended to target the concept of fetal personhood, healthcare and law professionals are worried that various other procedures and treatments, such as chemotherapy, could be affected by the bill.

    “There’s a slew of medical procedures, surgeries, treatments that can have potentially positive outcomes but may also cause harm in the short period or as an unintended consequence,” Wyoming attorney Abigail Fournier told the The Guardian.

    An amendment to Wyoming’s state constitution in 2012 stated that making healthcare decisions was a right of individuals in the state. Senate File 125 is the first of its kind trying to change the definition of healthcare.

    While Cheri Steinmetz, the Republican state senator who authored the bill, told The Guardian that she was not trying to change the constitution, just the definition used, Wyoming attorney Clark Stith said that they believe changing the meaning could still constitute changing the constitution.

    Wyoming’s abortion ban was struck down by a judge in November 2024. At the time, women and organizations had argued that the ban violated the 2012 amendment, and that it also infringed upon their rights, NPR reported at the time.

    As the state appeals this ruling, state representatives have also created bills seeking to restrict abortion access, such as requiring a trans-vaginal ultrasound before patients can receive abortion medication, as reported by WyoFile.

    At least two abortion-related House bills have passed the House since the abortion ban was struck down. A third one is set to be debated on in the coming weeks.

    Originally published by Latin Times.

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  • New York Requires Health Insurers to Cover EpiPens as Cost of Life-Saving Device Skyrockets

    New York Requires Health Insurers to Cover EpiPens as Cost of Life-Saving Device Skyrockets

    In a groundbreaking move to combat rising healthcare costs, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law mandating health insurers cover EpiPens as they surge in price.

    The cost of EpiPens has soared by 600% since 2007, with a two-pack now exceeding $600, 13 WHAM reported.

    These devices, essential for treating anaphylaxis, have a short shelf life of about 12 months, forcing users to pay annually.

    These rising costs have left many individuals rationing expired devices or delaying necessary prescriptions.

    The new legislation, S.7114-A/A.6425-A, requires New York health insurers to cover at least two medically necessary epinephrine auto-injectors per patient and limit out-of-pocket costs to $100 annually.

    “For people with severe allergies, immediate access to an EpiPen device can mean the difference between life and death,” Hochul said. “When every second counts, the last thing New Yorkers should have to worry about is whether they can afford the medication they need to survive an anaphylactic reaction. By signing this bill, we are putting people over profit and giving New Yorkers peace of mind by ensuring equitable access to this lifesaving emergency treatment.”

    The bill, effective January 1, 2026, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. It is the first of its kind in the U.S. and ensures equitable access to EpiPens for individuals with commercial health insurance.

    Originally published on Latin Times

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  • Miscarrying Texas Mother Becomes Latest Woman to Die As Doctors Risk 99-Year Prison Sentence for Administering Life-Saving Drug

    Miscarrying Texas Mother Becomes Latest Woman to Die As Doctors Risk 99-Year Prison Sentence for Administering Life-Saving Drug

    A Texas mother became the third woman to die as a result of the state’s abortion ban when legislation prevented a doctor from administering life-saving care.

    In June of 2023, 35-year-old Porsha Ngumezi suffered a miscarriage at just 11 weeks pregnant, causing her to lose an immense amount of blood. Ngumezi, who already had young children, had been “passing large clots the size of grapefruit,” according to nurse’s notes obtained by ProPublica.

    “You need a D&C,” Hope Ngumezi, Porsha’s husband, was told by his mother who was a former physician. A dilation and curettage, also referred to as a D&C, is a common procedure by which a doctor removes the remaining tissue from a uterus in order to allow the uterus to close up and stop bleeding. The procedure addresses first-trimester miscarriages and abortions.

    However, the obstetrician on duty, Dr. Andrew Ryan Davis, gave Porsha misoprostol, a drug intended to help her body pass the tissue independently instead of administering life-saving care due to hospital policy.

    The drugs were not enough to stop the bleeding, and Porsha eventually passed away.

    Porsha’s death could have been easily prevented by a simple medical procedure that has become intertwined in state abortion laws because it is sometimes used to enact first-trimester abortions. Texas state law demands a prison sentence of up to 99 years for any doctor who violates legislation.

    Porsha’s death is the fifth preventable death caused by a lack of access to a D&C in the first trimester or a dilation and evacuation in the second. Three of these deaths occurred in Texas, according to ProPublica.

    Instead of administering D&Cs, doctors are giving patients misoprostol instead as the drug is often used to induce labor and treat postpartum hemorrhage, making it less directly related to abortion. However, the drug is not recommended to treat unstable patients.

    “Stigma and fear are there for D&Cs in a way that they are not for misoprostol,” said Dr. Alison Goulding, an OB-GYN in Houston. “Doctors assume that a D&C is not standard in Texas anymore, even in cases where it should be recommended. People are afraid: They see D&C as abortion and abortion as illegal.”

    “All Houston Methodist hospitals follow all state laws,” said a spokesperson for Houston Methodist, “including the abortion law in place in Texas.”

    Originally published by Latin Times.

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