An executive order has been released by President Biden to address patient privacy protection concerns and to emphasize the significance of access to abortion in response to the Supreme Corut’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“Eliminating the right recognized in Roe has already had and will continue to have devastating implications for women’s health and public health more broadly. Access to reproductive healthcare services is now threatened for millions of Americans, and especially for those who live in States that are banning or severely restricting abortion care.”
The “Executive Order on Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services” details how Biden’s Administration will protect women’s access to reproductive health services by safeguarding access to contraception and medication for abortion, in addition to ensuring emergency medical treatment and launching public education efforts. In order to promote strong legal representation of patients, providers, and third parties legally seeking or providing reproductive health care services across the nation, the Attorney General and the White House Counsel will assemble private pro bono defense attorneys, bar associations, and public interest organizations.
“In the face of this health crisis, the Federal Government is taking action to protect healthcare service delivery and promote access to critical reproductive healthcare services, including abortion. It remains the policy of my Administration to support women’s right to choose and to protect and defend reproductive rights. Doing so is essential to justice, equality, and our health, safety, and progress as a Nation.”
In terms of patient privacy protection, the Executive Order will take a multitude of steps to ensure patient privacy. These steps include regulating the exchange and sale of private health information, preventing digital surveillance of reproductive health care providers, and shielding those in need of reproductive health care from false information, fraudulent schemes or misleading practices. President Biden also requested the Chair of the Federal Trade Commision to implement further safeguards to protect consumers’ privacy when seeking information regarding reproductive healthcare services and reminded medical providers that they are nor required to disclose sensitive patient information to law enforcement, with limited exceptions.