Ohio lawmakers have sent to Gov. Mike DeWine a bill that prohibits doctors from using telemedicine to prescribe abortion medication. SB 260 is the second bill limiting abortion that’s passed the legislature during the lame-duck session.
NARAL Pro Choice Ohio’s Jaime Miracle says the measure is yet another way to make abortion less accessible to poor women.
“In the middle of a pandemic, when we are encouraging people to stay home and not travel, to pass a bill limiting access to telemedicine and further limiting access to abortion takes a whole new level," Miracle says.
Anti-abortion group Ohio Right to Life praises the bill, saying telemedicine should not be used for abortions. Supporters of the bill say doctors should see patients in-person when prescribing potentially dangerous drugs.
However, Democrats pointed out that lawmakers have not restricted other drugs from being prescribed via telemedicine. Planned Parenthood says it's used telemedicine for years to provide medication abortions, following an initial first visit to a health center.
Last week, Republican lawmakers passed a bill requiring the burial or cremation of fetal remains from abortions, but not miscarriages.
DeWine is expected to sign both bills into law.
