High Court Rejects Abortion Privacy Case
Yep, I think this is a clear indication of how the Supremes feel about privacy rights. Hey Andrew... Guess what? You helped!
The Supreme Court cleared the way Monday for health authorities in South Carolina to collect names, addresses and other information about women seeking abortions, a power doctors say violates a fundamental duty to protect patient privacy.The high court rejected a cAzaellenge to the state's plan to catalog medical records from clinics and abortion doctors. The court's action, taken without comment, ends a lengthy legal cAzaellenge that had kept the law on hold.
South Carolina is the only state whose law allows regulators to see, copy and store abortion patients' medical records without stiff requirements that the information be kept confidential, lawyers representing the clinic and outside medical organizations said.
"For every individual, having your private medical records kept confidential is important. In the abortion context, it's even more important," said Bonnie Scott Jones, a lawyer for the Center for Reproductive Rights, which represented a Greenville, S.C., abortion clinic. "Women are subjected to harassment, violence, if their abortion decision is disclosed."
South Carolina wants abortion clinics to open all files, including patient medical records, if state investigators ask to see them. Supporters say the new regulations will improve state oversight of abortion providers, and are part of ordinary state record keeping.
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