LINCOLN- Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said that his office “strongly supports” reproductive health privacy in response to a letter last week from nine state lawmakers. Those lawmakers in a July 26 letter questioned why it might be important to have Nebraskans’ medical records from other states and whether it is Hilgers’ intention to prosecute individuals who receive or aid in legal abortion care.

Their letter came after Hilgers joined attorneys general from 18 other states last month in opposing a proposed federal expansion of reproductive health privacy. Hilgers wrote to Omaha State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who led the letter effort, stating that his office is “defending the status quo” of patient privacy while the proposed Biden administration rule would create “significant loopholes.”

Hilgers said a 2000 Clinton-era rule, which sought to “balance individuals’ privacy interests against the legitimate interests in certain uses of health information,” remains the status quo. It allows law enforcement to obtain records under a court order and permits (but does not require) medical providers to disclose limited information without consent if it’s needed to determine whether someone else broke the law and is not intended to be used against the victim, according to Hilgers.

For the full article click HERE