Updates About Public Health

The Michigan Court of Claims issued a temporary order blocking the enforcement of a 24-hour waiting period, mandatory informed consent, and a ban on non-physician professionals providing abortion services. Judge Sima Patel ruled that these regulations conflict with Proposal 22-3, which grants constitutional protections for reproductive freedom, including the right to abortion care without unnecessary burdens. Judge Patel did not suspend all parts of the informed consent law; the requirement that abortion providers must ensure patients are not being coerced into the procedure is being upheld. Supporters of the order argued that delaying abortion care causes significant harm since it is time-sensitive and becomes riskier with time. Governor Gretchen Whitmer praised the decision, stating that the 24-hour waiting period and other regulations were unjustified barriers to reproductive health care.

Last year, Democrats in the Michigan House of Representatives attempted to repeal the waiting period and informed consent laws but did not have enough votes to pass the legislation. The case will continue, with further proceedings expected to address what happens next.

During a recent visit to a Neighborhood Wellness Center in Detroit, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II highlighted the state’s $17 million investment into 22 centers aimed at reducing racial health disparities. These centers provide free preventive health screenings and are strategically located to serve underserved communities. The centers offer services including screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol, as well as flu and COVID-19 testing.

In addition to preventive health screenings, the centers also focus on substance use disorder prevention, piloting programs at seven sites with $250,000 from opioid settlement funds. These pilot sites offer free naloxone access and prevention education for combating the opioid crisis. Community health workers are available to assist with social determinants of health, including food, transportation, and housing. They also provide health counseling and referrals to primary care and senior services. This initiative is just one example of the state’s ongoing efforts to improve health care accessibility.

Find a Neighborhood Wellness Center near you.

The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to federal regulations surrounding the abortion medication mifepristone recently, which means continued access, most notably includes by mail to patients, to the medication here in Michigan. The decision, which rejected claims of health risks associated with the medication, disappointed challenge-advocates who had sought tighter restrictions.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer praised the ruling, emphasizing its importance in protecting reproductive rights as she stated, “Mifepristone will remain safe, legal, and available to Michiganders.”

This marks the first time the Supreme Court has addressed abortion since its 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.