Florida’s two state health agencies clarified for doctors on Thursday morning that an abortion is allowed at “any stage in pregnancy” to save the life and health of the mother, according to a press release.
“Providers are reminded that Florida requires life-saving medical care to a mother without delay when necessary, and the Florida Department of Health and the Agency for Health Care Administration will take regulatory action when a provider fails to follow this standard of care,” the press release says in bold text.
The release, aimed to dispel what the state called “misinformation” about abortion in Florida, also says “miscarriage is not an abortion” in bold text and warns health care facilities and providers that a failure to provide life-saving treatment for pregnant women may constitute malpractice.
This is the best thing I’ve read about Florida in a long time.
It is great, but does the Attorney General care what the health agencies say?
The chilling effect from the abortion bans also comes from contradictory regulations, rules, and guidance with medical professionals trying to error on the side of not being prosecuted because the AG wants to drag them to court over whether the mother’s life was in danger.
Sadly this is just damage control ahead of an election. What they say and what they do don’t match up. Within the next year, guaranteed that a healthcare worker is going to get prosecuted by the state for even suggesting to a pregnant woman an abortion would save her life, much less make moves to enable such an action.
If they gave the damn about the lives and long term health of mothers they wouldn’t have worked so hard to restrict abortion access and demonize anyone willing to say that not every pregnancy is safe to carry to term.
One would think that. But the test of the state prosecutorial agencies will fight this tooth and nail.