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Gov. Hochul says NY will stockpile abortion pills to protect access amid Texas legal challenge
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Apr 11, 2023
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Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Apr 11, 2023
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Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday that New York will create a stockpile of misoprostol, a pill that can be used for abortions and miscarriages, as a separate medication faces a legal limbo that could last indefinitely.
The 150,000-dose stockpile would be sufficient to supply New York for five years, according to the governor’s office. New York joins states including California, Massachusetts and Washington that are also stocking up on abortion medication, according to NPR.
Misoprostol is typically used in combination with the drug mifepristone, but the latter's approval was suspended Friday by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas. The ruling could ultimately force abortion providers to switch to a misoprostol-only regimen. That option is still safe and effective, but somewhat less effective than the combo regimen health care providers currently recommend.
The Biden administration has appealed the Texas decision and filed a motion on Monday to delay the suspension on mifepristone while the case is pending. The block is currently set to take effect on Friday.
“This calls for bold leadership at every level of government,” Hochul said at a Tuesday press conference on the legal situation, which was hosted by Planned Parenthood of Greater New York.
Mayor Eric Adams, state Attorney General Letitia James, Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams also attended Tuesday's event and weighed in on how to respond to a potential mifepristone ban, as did Planned Parenthood representatives. James announced Monday afternoon that she joined with attorneys general from other states to file an amicus brief supporting the plea from the Biden administration to keep mifepristone available.
Using misoprostol alone would constitute an off-label use for the drug, which is officially approved for treating gastric ulcers. Hochul said she is working with insurance companies to ensure they will continue to provide coverage for misoprostol if it is prescribed for abortions. New York already requires general coverage for abortion.
Hochul said she would also make up to $20 million available to reproductive health care providers to support their switch to alternative abortion methods if mifepristone is blocked.
“We are well prepared to pivot to a misoprostol-only regimen if we are forced to do so,” Dr. Gabriela Aguilar, medical director of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, said at the press conference. But she said forcing health care providers to go against medical best practices was “dehumanizing” for patients.
When asked whether Planned Parenthood would also make mifepristone available to patients even if the Texas decision was upheld, as long as supplies were available, the organization's president and CEO Wendy Stark said she was still weighing that decision.
Adams also said that NYC Health + Hospitals providers would switch to the alternative medication misoprostol if necessary. He added that New York City is filing an amicus brief in the Texas case detailing the impact that a ban on mifepristone would have on the public hospital system’s ability to provide care.
James was unwilling to say why she did not participate in a separate lawsuit in Washington state that aimed to preserve mifepristone access. Attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C. participated in that suit, which resulted in a ruling on Friday that sought to cancel out the Texas decision in those jurisdictions.
James said at the press conference that she discussed participating in the lawsuit with other blue states and federal officials.
“There were pros and cons which were discussed, and we decided not to join that case,” she said. “There are reasons I cannot go into at this point in time.”
Tagged
abortion
health care
Health and Science
Caroline Lewis
Caroline Lewis is on the health care beat for WNYC and Gothamist. She has covered COVID, a nurses' strike, the overdose crisis and New York’s marijuana legalization effort, and spent a year investigating patients' medical bills. She always wants to hear about how everyday New Yorkers experience the health system. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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