CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Charges that medical complications from abortions send women to a Charleston emergency room on a weekly basis are not supported by the public record. This summer, obstetrician Dr. Byron Calhoun wrote to state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey that he sees women in his hospital's emergency room "probably at least weekly" as a result of abortions.

However, extensive public records searches have found no confirmation of that. Sharona Coutts, director of investigations and research with RH Reality Check, sent public information requests to state medical regulators to see if there were documents supporting Calhoun's charges.

"We went and had a look, and what we found is there is not," Coutts said. "I think that there are serious questions over those claims, and they have not been answered by Dr. Calhoun."

Attorney General Morrisey has been reviewing medical regulation of abortion clinics, and could recommend that lawmakers tighten those rules. But other, independent investigations have uncovered no evidence of serious medical problems at these facilities. Coutts said a review done by the state Department of Health and Human Resources, which regulates clinics and medical facilities, found "no complaints or adverse health events" in the last five years.

Her group also received a formal reply from the state Board of Medicine, she said.

"They investigate complaints of physician misconduct. And you know how many times they've received complaints about abortion care in West Virginia in the last five years? None," Coutts said.

Several separate checks of the Board of Medicine and other records showed the same results. According to academic research, abortion is statistically less dangerous for a woman than childbirth. Coutts pointed out that protecting the health of pregnant women is a priority for all.

"Everyone is on the same page in wanting to make sure that women are safe, and fear-mongering is really not helpful," she said.

Calhoun has not responded to repeated calls. Patient records at the Charleston Area Medical Center Women and Children's Hospital are confidential. Calhoun's employer, WVU Health Sciences, said they neither approved nor endorsed Calhoun's statements.

More information about Coutts' work is available at http://rhrealitycheck.org. West Virginia Board of Medicine records are at www.bvbom.wv.gov.




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After more than 50 years of use, some Michigan lawmakers say naloxone may not be the best choice in an overdose situation.

Naloxone is sometimes called the "Lazarus drug" because of its powerful ability to seemingly resurrect people after a drug overdose.

Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and some of his colleagues have introduced a bill which would open the door for what they say are more costly, but more powerful, antidotes.

"Given the prevalence of fentanyl in our communities, and how much stronger some of these drugs that we're now seeing are, we believe -- and in talking with others -- that there should be other tools to respond to an overdose," Hertel explained. "To make sure we're doing everything we can to save somebody's life."

Not everyone is on board with the proposed legislation, Senate Bill 542. Opponents argued the more expensive naloxone alternatives are not necessary, and using them would only increase profits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Jonathan Stoltman, director of the Opioid Policy Institute in Grand Rapids, said while the naloxone alternatives do help in overdose situations, they can also cause nasty side effects.

"The newer approaches, they put people into more severe withdrawal," Stoltman pointed out. "That's a pretty profound negative side effect. The one approach is very inexpensive and works great; the other approach is far more expensive and has this strong negative side effect."

Sponsors of the bill say they're hoping to give Michigan residents a chance to chime in on the issue in a public hearing sometime in June. Michigan saw more than 3,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2021.


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New Mexico saw record enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act this year and is now setting its sights on lowering out-of-pocket costs - those not reimbursed by insurance. More than 56,000 New Mexicans are enrolled in a medical health insurance plan on the state exchange - an increase of 12,000 people overall.

Colin Baillio, deputy superintendent with the state's Office of Insurance, said the state has boosted its outreach and made efforts to improve the overall consumer experience.

"We saw a 40% year-over-year increase, and New Mexico saw the biggest percentage increase during the open-enrollment period among all of the state-based marketplaces," he explained

Part of the enrollment increase is due to what's called the "unwinding" - a federal directive that required all states to redetermine Medicaid eligibility following a three-year pause on checks during the COVID pandemic. He said by using expanded tools made available by the federal and state government, 8% of New Mexico's population is now uninsured - down from 23% in 2010.

Following approval by lawmakers in the 2024 legislative session, the New Mexico governor signed seven health care-related bills into law - one of which requires annual reporting of prescription drug pricing. Baililo said the Affordable Care Act built the foundation that has allowed the state to pursue additional affordability initiatives.

"I'm really glad to see that there's so much interest in the next step of health reform, really leaning into these out-of-pocket cost issues and making it easier for people to afford to stay covered and see their doctors," he continued.

Two years ago, the state also passed a one-of-a-kind law that did away with behavioral health co-pays for people in certain insurance plans.

New York's medical aid-in-dying bill is gaining further support. The Medical Society of the State of New York is supporting the bill. New York's bill allows terminally ill people with only six months to live to use this option, with safeguards requiring two physicians' approval.

The bill's Assembly sponsor Amy Paulin, D-Westchester, said despite the growing support, other hurdles lie ahead.

"Now we have what I believe, if it came to the floor, a majority. There's still a hesitation on the part of leadership. You know, we need members to assure leadership that they no longer have reservations," she said.

Other newly resolved concerns center on making sure insurance companies and doctors who don't support this aren't held liable. She's optimistic the bill will pass after nine years in the Legislature. New York would be the 11th state along with Washington, D.C. to have medical aid in dying legislation.

Corinne Carey, senior New York campaign director with Compassion and Choices finds the pandemic drew a vivid picture of a person's end-of-life experience. There were images of people dying on ventilators, apart from loved ones, and unable to communicate. She said people began thinking about a "good death."

"And, what is a good death is being surrounded by loved ones, having some measure of control, experiencing the touch of your loved ones, and being the one in the driver's seat," she explained.

Now people have different options for end-of-life care, each of which presents various challenges. Polls show medical aid in dying has garnered considerable support since being introduced in 2015. A 2022 Compassion and Choices poll finds 57% of nurses support medical aid in dying professionally, although fewer support it personally.