Biden Administration Heeds Baldwin’s Call to Protect Privacy of Americans Seeking Abortions

WISCONSIN –U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is applauding the Biden administration for heeding her calls and announcing plans to protect the privacy of those seeking and providing abortions by proposing a rule that restricts health care providers and insurers from sharing individuals’ reproductive health information without explicit consent. In March, Senator Baldwin led ten Senators in calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to protect the privacy of those seeking and providing abortions by updating Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. This comes as anti-choice politicians and state governments are working to investigate and punish those who seek and perform abortions, putting women at risk of having their personal health information exposed and used against them.

“Since an activist Supreme Court stripped away the constitutional right of women to make their own personal choices about their bodies, anti-choice extremists have continued their attack on Americans’ rights and are trying to investigate and punish those seeking abortion care. Women’s personal health care information is just that, personal, and no politician or government should be able to access it and weaponize it,” said Senator Baldwin. “I applaud the Biden administration’s action to protect the privacy of those seeking and providing abortions, and I will not stop fighting to protect and restore women’s right and freedom to abortion care.”

Senator Baldwin is the lead sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023, federal legislation to guarantee access to abortion, everywhere across the country and restore the right to comprehensive reproductive health care for millions of Americans. With 14 states already implementing near-total abortion bans, leaving one in three American women without access to safe, legal abortion care, Senator Baldwin also introduced legislation to provide women the support they need to access reproductive health services by providing grants to organizations, including abortion funds, to offset the cost of travel-related expenses.

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