Nearly every day, Halley Crissman and her physician colleagues in Michigan must tell patients seeking abortions they’re very sorry that they can’t proceed with their scheduled appointments.
“Patients tell me, ‘Doctor, why are you stopping me from getting the care that I need?’” said Crissman, an OB-GYN who provides abortions as part of her practice and is also an assistant professor at the University of Michigan. “The answer is that Prop 3 made access to abortion care a right in Michigan. But these [other] laws remain on the books.”
Ever since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion patients have traveled to Michigan in record numbers for care. Voters passed what’s known as Proposal 3 last November, enshrining abortion rights in the state’s constitution. But it can still be difficult to get abortion care in Michigan, and even patients who have secured appointments are regularly turned away, doctors say.
That’s because of remaining legal restrictions, including an informed consent form that must be printed and signed 24 hours before an appointment begins.
Halley Crissman is an OB-GYN and assistant professor at the University of Michigan. Even after the passage of Proposal 3, which put abortion rights in the state constitution, remaining restrictions on abortion make it hard for her patients to get care, she says.(Beth Weiler)
This fall, Democrats in Michigan pledged to change those older state laws. They introduced the Reproductive Health Act, which would repeal the state’s 24-hour mandatory waiting period, get rid of the informed consent form, allow Medicaid to cover abortions for low-income patients, and make it easier for private insurance to cover abortions. The legislation would also lift regulations on abortion clinics that advocates say are unnecessary and burdensome.
The time is ripe, Democrats say. Since the 2022 election, the party controls both chambers of the legislature and the governorship, positioning them to pass what they consider a landmark victory for reproductive health.
But now that legislation is stalled — not because of opposition from the Republican minority, but because of dissension within the Democrats’ ranks. Michigan is one of the few remaining Midwestern states where abortion remains legal, so Democrats’ efforts to make the procedure more accessible in the state will have wide-ranging consequences.
Pre-Visit Paperwork Requires Internet Access, a Printer, and Exact Timing
Crissman has a request for anyone who thinks Michigan’s 24-hour mandatory waiting period and informed consent form laws are reasonable: See if you can figure them out.
“Try to figure out what you’re supposed to print. See if you get it right,” said Crissman, “because every day I see patients who’ve driven five hours for abortion care. And they haven’t gotten it right.”
A pamphlet distributed to patients relies heavily on a Q&A format that appears focused on helping them navigate potential difficulties during a pregnancy. One question reads: “How am I supposed to eat healthy food when it costs so much?” The answer: Try food stamps. Q: “What if my house or apartment is in an unsafe neighborhood?” A: Have a “safety plan in mind” and “lock your doors.”
The pamphlet features pictures of smiling pregnant women cradling their bellies and beaming parents holding sleeping newborns. At a statehouse hearing last month, Sarah Wallett, chief medical operating officer of Planned Parenthood of Michigan, said state law mandates these materials be provided to all patients, regardless of their circumstances. One patient was ending a much-wanted pregnancy because of a fetal “anomaly incompatible with life,” Wallett said. “She asked me with tears in her eyes why I had forced her to look at information that wasn’t relevant to her, that only made this harder for her and her family going through this heartbreak. I could only reply, ‘Because Michigan law requires me to.’”
Once patients have reviewed the required materials, they need to click “finish.” That automatically generates a signature form, with a date and time stamp of the exact moment they clicked “finish.” That time stamp must be at least 24 hours, but no more than two weeks, before their appointment. Otherwise, under Michigan law, the appointment must be canceled.
Patients must then print and bring a copy of that signed, time-stamped page to the appointment.
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Cancellations Over Paperwork Can Lead to Increased Risks
Planned Parenthood of Michigan reports turning away at least 150 patients a month because of mistakes with that form: The patient didn’t sign it in the proper time window, or printed the wrong page, or didn’t have a printer.
That delay in care can be medically risky, said OB-GYN Charita Roque, who testified at the hearing for the Reproductive Health Act. Roque explained that a patient had developed peripartum cardiomyopathy, a potentially life-threatening heart problem that can occur during pregnancy.
“Not wanting to risk her life, or leave the young child she already had without a mother, she decided to get an abortion,” said Roque, who is also an assistant professor at Western Michigan University’s medical school. “But …
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Ever since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion patients have traveled to Michigan in record numbers for care. Voters passed what’s known as Proposal 3 last November, enshrining abortion rights in the state’s constitution. But it can still be difficult to get abortion care in Michigan, and even patients who have secured appointments are regularly turned away, doctors say.
That’s because of remaining legal restrictions, including an informed consent form that must be printed and signed 24 hours before an appointment begins.
Halley Crissman is an OB-GYN and assistant professor at the University of Michigan. Even after the passage of Proposal 3, which put abortion rights in the state constitution, remaining restrictions on abortion make it hard for her patients to get care, she says.(Beth Weiler)
This fall, Democrats in Michigan pledged to change those older state laws. They introduced the Reproductive Health Act, which would repeal the state’s 24-hour mandatory waiting period, get rid of the informed consent form, allow Medicaid to cover abortions for low-income patients, and make it easier for private insurance to cover abortions. The legislation would also lift regulations on abortion clinics that advocates say are unnecessary and burdensome.
The time is ripe, Democrats say. Since the 2022 election, the party controls both chambers of the legislature and the governorship, positioning them to pass what they consider a landmark victory for reproductive health.
But now that legislation is stalled — not because of opposition from the Republican minority, but because of dissension within the Democrats’ ranks. Michigan is one of the few remaining Midwestern states where abortion remains legal, so Democrats’ efforts to make the procedure more accessible in the state will have wide-ranging consequences.
Pre-Visit Paperwork Requires Internet Access, a Printer, and Exact Timing
Crissman has a request for anyone who thinks Michigan’s 24-hour mandatory waiting period and informed consent form laws are reasonable: See if you can figure them out.
“Try to figure out what you’re supposed to print. See if you get it right,” said Crissman, “because every day I see patients who’ve driven five hours for abortion care. And they haven’t gotten it right.”
A pamphlet distributed to patients relies heavily on a Q&A format that appears focused on helping them navigate potential difficulties during a pregnancy. One question reads: “How am I supposed to eat healthy food when it costs so much?” The answer: Try food stamps. Q: “What if my house or apartment is in an unsafe neighborhood?” A: Have a “safety plan in mind” and “lock your doors.”
The pamphlet features pictures of smiling pregnant women cradling their bellies and beaming parents holding sleeping newborns. At a statehouse hearing last month, Sarah Wallett, chief medical operating officer of Planned Parenthood of Michigan, said state law mandates these materials be provided to all patients, regardless of their circumstances. One patient was ending a much-wanted pregnancy because of a fetal “anomaly incompatible with life,” Wallett said. “She asked me with tears in her eyes why I had forced her to look at information that wasn’t relevant to her, that only made this harder for her and her family going through this heartbreak. I could only reply, ‘Because Michigan law requires me to.’”
Once patients have reviewed the required materials, they need to click “finish.” That automatically generates a signature form, with a date and time stamp of the exact moment they clicked “finish.” That time stamp must be at least 24 hours, but no more than two weeks, before their appointment. Otherwise, under Michigan law, the appointment must be canceled.
Patients must then print and bring a copy of that signed, time-stamped page to the appointment.
Email Sign-Up
Subscribe to KFF Health News’ free Morning Briefing.
Cancellations Over Paperwork Can Lead to Increased Risks
Planned Parenthood of Michigan reports turning away at least 150 patients a month because of mistakes with that form: The patient didn’t sign it in the proper time window, or printed the wrong page, or didn’t have a printer.
That delay in care can be medically risky, said OB-GYN Charita Roque, who testified at the hearing for the Reproductive Health Act. Roque explained that a patient had developed peripartum cardiomyopathy, a potentially life-threatening heart problem that can occur during pregnancy.
“Not wanting to risk her life, or leave the young child she already had without a mother, she decided to get an abortion,” said Roque, who is also an assistant professor at Western Michigan University’s medical school. “But …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]