Following yesterday’s decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that allows President Trump’s Title X gag rule to go into effect while undergoing a legal challenge, Gov. Jay Inslee and state Department of Health Secretary John Wiesman are reviewing the impacts to the state’s family planning program and taking steps to ensure women’s continued access to care.
“We are making sure that every woman in Washington has the same access to reproductive healthcare that she had before the court’s dangerous decision,” Inslee said. “The Trump Administration’s effort to muzzle doctors and keep patients from receiving medically sound care and advice is simply not something we will tolerate in Washington state.”
“There is no doubt this decision is having a negative impact on our state’s family planning program,” Wiesman said. “But we are taking steps to protect our program in the near-term while the decision is challenged, to ensure patients’ access to care is preserved.”
The court could rule on emergency motions to stay yesterday’s decision in a matter of days. In the meantime, DOH is taking action to leverage current resources to maintain full access to care.