Physicians Urge Oklahoma Governor to Veto Onerous Abortion Reporting Bill

Embedded Scribd iPaper - Requires Javascript and Flash Player
May 13, 2010
Governor Brad Henry State Capitol Building 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 212 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Dear Governor Henry: As representatives of thousands of physicians in Oklahoma and beyond, the Oklahoma State Medical Association and Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health stand together in opposition to House Bill 3284, the Statistical Abortion Reporting Act. We ask you to veto this intrusive bill because it would damage the physician-patient relationship and make it more difficult for women in Oklahoma to receive the best medical care. HB 3284 would impose burdensome reporting requirements on physicians and the patients they serve. The bill would require doctors to ask a woman a list of 38 questions before performing an abortion and then document her answers. Several of the questions probe the intimate details of a patient’s personal life for no medical reason. These questions, crafted by the state, do nothing to improve or protect patient care or the physician-patient relationship. Instead, they undermine the public’s trust in doctors and add delays to patient care. Physicians already must handle a great deal of paperwork and reporting requirements from insurers and various government agencies. Imposing new, extensive, and extraneous reporting requirements for abortion will not improve patient care; indeed, this legislation will only reduce the time physicians are able to spend with patients. The Oklahoma State Medical Association is comprised of 4,600 physicians and aims to advance the science and art of medicine for the betterment of Oklahoma physicians and the public we serve. Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health is a doctor-led national advocacy organization. We use evidence-based medicine to promote sound reproductive health policies. Please veto HB 3284, the Statistical Abortion Reporting Act. Your veto will prevent further intrusion in the doctor-patient relationship in Oklahoma, thereby promoting patient care. Sincerely, Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health The Oklahoma State Medical Association