Women’s Protection in Telehealth Act

The Women’s Protection in Telehealth Act would amend title XI of the Social Security Act to remove from Medicare participation any individual or entity that prescribes, administers, dispenses, or furnishes an abortion-inducing drug. To be eligible for continued Medicare participation, a provider of abortion-inducing drugs would have to meet strict in-person requirements: the provider must be a physician, physically examine the patient, be physically present in the same room when the drug is given, and schedule an in-person follow-up within 14 days. The bill defines abortion-inducing drugs broadly (including off-label use) and defines “unborn child” per existing U.S. Code. If a provider is excluded under this new subsection, the exclusion is permanent, and certain procedural provisions that apply to other exclusions would not apply in the case of this new exclusion. In short, the bill is designed to block Medicare participation for providers of abortion-inducing drugs unless they meet stringent in-person requirements, effectively limiting how abortion services can be delivered to Medicare beneficiaries, particularly in telehealth settings.