The recent Supreme Court decision overturning federal precedent guaranteeing protection for people who can become pregnant to seek comprehensive, evidence based reproductive services, which includes abortion care, is antithetical to the goals of integrated, whole-person care. The ruling has been opposed by the World Health Organization, American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychiatric Association, National Association of Social Workers and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. CFHA stands with these organizations in condemning this infringement on access to healthcare services and inhibiting patient relationships with their healthcare team. Privacy and body autonomy are crucial components of effective healthcare, a fact that this ruling ignores.
The Collaborative Family Healthcare Association (CFHA), in accordance with our mission and values, supports seamless collaboration between healthcare providers and their patients and families. In our view any policy or law negatively impacting those relationships is detrimental to a patient’s health and impedes the ability of care teams to effectively do their jobs.
Our members now face fear, confusion and uncertainty about their ability and rights related to how they can best support patients faced with crisis pregnancies and related medically complex circumstances. By returning the issue to the states, this ruling allows state laws to criminalize actions of patients seeking healthcare, as well as their advocates and healthcare providers. Additionally, most of our membership work with underserved populations who comprise the portion of the nation most likely to be negatively impacted by this ruling with even fewer options in desperate circumstances.
CFHA members provide care to patients in all 50 states working to improve access to integrated physical and behavioral health on modern care teams that break down the silos of the antiquated health system. Now many of those members and teams are in states with restrictive laws and harsh penalties. They do not deserve to face fear in providing evidence based medical information and care and should not be subject to criminal charges.
We are an action-oriented community. We will bring together our community in our culture of shared learning and support our members who need critical information about how best to serve their patients in this new and uncertain landscape as part of our upcoming Community Conversations series. And CFHA will continue to advocate for patient-provider relationships free of fear and restrictions.
