Washington:
President Joe Biden’s administration announced a new rule on Monday to protect the privacy of women who travel out of their home states to obtain legal abortions, amid fears that they may be arrested upon their return. can be prosecuted.
The move comes as reproductive rights take center stage in November’s presidential election, following a landmark court ruling that ended or severely curtailed legal abortion in 21 states.
Melanie Fontes Renner of the Office for Civil Rights told reporters, “No one should have to live in fear that their conversations with their doctor or their medical claims data will be used to target or track them. can be done.”
The rule prohibits disclosure of personal health information sought to investigate individuals who lawfully seek or receive reproductive health services. This also applies to healthcare providers.
Rainer urged women to come forward and file a complaint if they feel their privacy rights have been violated.
The Health and Human Services agency received nearly 30,000 public comments before finalizing its new rule, which strengthens the Health Insurance Portability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
In 2022, conservative justices appointed by former President Donald Trump helped overturn a half-century of legal precedent that upheld the constitutional right to abortion, sparking widespread outrage.
Women in Republican-controlled states have since faced problems accessing reproductive care, including non-viable pregnancies and even IVF treatment.
Abortion rights have become a cornerstone of President Biden’s re-election campaign, and the issue helped Democrats beat expectations in the 2022 midterm vote.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)