{"id":313744,"date":"2024-06-12T12:40:03","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T17:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=313744"},"modified":"2025-06-19T23:58:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T04:58:39","slug":"planned-parenthood-secretly-against-telehealth-abortion-shield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/planned-parenthood-secretly-against-telehealth-abortion-shield\/","title":{"rendered":"Shock report: Planned Parenthood secretly lobbied against shielding ‘telehealth’ abortion providers"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

A San Francisco Chronicle report<\/a> claims that while Planned Parenthood was busy “publicly supporting state-level efforts to pass abortion shield laws that protect clinicians providing care to patients within their own state,” the corporation also “privately lobbied officials in California, New York and Massachusetts<\/a>” against passing so-called telehealth abortion shield laws.<\/p>\n

The Chronicle<\/a> reportedly received this information from “half a dozen people involved in the laws\u2019 passage.” The paper claimed Planned Parenthood’s motive for the opposition was that the abortion corporation believed telehealth shield laws “could be risky for providers and damaging to efforts to protect existing abortion care.”<\/p>\n

The report noted that despite the corporation’s efforts, “telehealth shield protections ultimately became law in seven states: California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Washington.”<\/p>\n

And Planned Parenthood wasn’t the only organization opposing the telehealth shield laws behind the scenes. According to the media outlet, “The ACLU and the National Abortion Federation were also among the reproductive rights groups that privately opposed telehealth shield laws in several states, three sources told the Chronicle.”<\/p>\n

\"Planned

Planned Parenthood opposed Telehealth abortion shield laws according to SF Chronicle (Image: Twitter “X”)<\/p><\/div>\n

The paper spoke with Tracy Weitz, a professor of sociology at American University. Weitz cofounded<\/a> Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH)<\/a> before leaving to become<\/a> the Buffett Foundation\u2019s director of U.S. programs in 2014. In that conversation, it was noted that other ‘abortion rights’ groups had initially \u201csuggested that these laws would be risky and damaging to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

“The Planned Parenthood Federation of America does not allow its clinicians to provide telehealth abortions, although some of its local affiliates do,” claimed the Chronicle, adding that “The organization did not directly respond to the Chronicle\u2019s questions about whether it had privately lobbied California, New York and Massachusetts officials.’<\/p>\n

A firestorm of criticism<\/strong><\/h3>\n

“Hi. Quick question. What\u2019s the point of us doing all this work to save abortion if Planned Parenthood is just gonna stay behind after the meeting and lobby against abortion legislation? Asking for a few friends,” ReproJobs asked<\/a> on Twitter\/X after learning the news.<\/p>\n

“There’s a reason advocates keep telling us to donate to local orgs instead of PP,” a separate account wrote in response to a post<\/a> from ‘abortion rights’ advocate Renee Bracey-Sherman.<\/p>\n

\"Abortion

Abortion advocates criticize Planned Parenthood opposition to telehealth shield laws (Images: Twitter\/X)<\/p><\/div>\n

Planned Parenthood’s opposition in various states<\/h3>\n

California<\/strong><\/p>\n

In September of 2023<\/a>, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB345<\/a>, which “protects healthcare practitioners located in California who provide telehealth services and dispense medication for abortion, contraception and gender-affirming care to out-of-state patients,” according to California State Senator Nancy Skinner.<\/p>\n

“Planned Parenthood publicly supported some telehealth shield laws, but staff members privately told Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s office and Attorney General Rob Bonta\u2019s office they weren\u2019t in favor of them, Jodi Jacobson, executive director of Healthcare Across Borders<\/a>, said,” according to the Chronicle.<\/p>\n

The report also claimed that three sources who requested to remain anonymous told them that “Planned Parenthood officials told California lawmakers considering Senate Bill 345 by Berkeley Sen. Nancy Skinner last year that the telehealth measure could be risky to providers.”<\/p>\n

Though the bill did eventually pass, “Planned Parenthood\u2019s opposition helped tank the California bill in the first session<\/a> it was introduced, a source familiar with the measure said on condition of anonymity,” claimed the Chronicle.<\/p>\n

New York<\/strong><\/p>\n

In June of 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed S.1066B\/A.1709B, which “Ensures New York Providers Can Prescribe Medication Abortion and Deliver Reproductive Health Care Through Telehealth Services to Patients in States Where Abortion Services are Outlawed or Restricted,” according to a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

NEW: I just signed a law to protect women seeking abortion care from New York doctors. Our law ensures providers can prescribe & send abortion medication to patients in states where it is banned.<\/p>\n

Draconian abortion bans put lives at risk. We will never back down from this fight. pic.twitter.com\/pSbberSoPL<\/a><\/p>\n

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) June 23, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n