LINCOLN, Nebraska —
Gov. Jim Pillen and the state’s top doctor are worried about what they call “misinformation” about the abortion access issues on the ticket.
“To be clear, crystal clear under current law, a woman in Nebraska can obtain care for a miscarriage throughout her entire pregnancy,” Pillen added.
Pillen wouldn’t name an ad or social media post by name, but he did say that he was worried that the mistake could hurt pregnant women who are having problems.
“I do not want to risk medical professionals or health care institutions refusing women care that they have been misinformed,” Pillen stated.
Since Roe v. Wade was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020, Nebraska is the only state in the country with two different abortion plans on the ballot.
The first measure on the ballot is 434, which is called the Protect Women and Children measure. It would write Nebraska’s current 12-week abortion law into the state’s constitution.
The second is 439, the Protect the Right to Abortion Constitutional Amendment, which lets women have abortions until the baby is viable.
Dr. Timothy Tesmer, Nebraska’s Chief Medical Officer, said that as the election date gets near, he has been getting calls from doctors asking about pregnancy care.
Tesmer said, “Yes, providers are mixed up by the law.”
Tesmer said they shouldn’t be.
“Current law includes protections for the life and wellbeing of a pregnant mother,” said Tesmer.
Tesmer said that as of now, there are no Nebraska doctors whose licenses have been suspended or taken away for handling miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies.
Dr. Richard Wurtz, a family doctor in Lincoln, said that the law doesn’t bother him when it comes to giving care.
“Despite what you might hear in Nebraska, women can get health care for miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and stillbirth,” said Wurtz.
But Omaha obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Emily Patel said it’s hard to tell if a woman’s health is in danger when her pregnancy is more than 12 weeks old.
“You don’t want your physician to ever be in a situation where they have to second guess what they have learned to do and what is standard of care,” he said.
Kimberly Paseka, the pregnant woman who was in an ad for Protect Our Rights, was pointed out by Patel.
She also told KETV Newswatch 7 that she couldn’t get an abortion, even though she knew she was bleeding and going to lose the baby.
“Well, I finally had my period in the bathroom of my home during a terrible, painful moment.” “And that picture will always stay with me,” Paseka said.
“That would be a terrifying and scary situation to be to be turned away from medical care,” he said.
She thinks that the patient and her doctor should be the ones to decide how to care for her.
“People are leaving our state to get care, and yes, there will be delays in care,” he said.
Lincoln family doctor Dr. Robert Plambeck doesn’t think that’s going to happen.
“We don’t delay treatment for that and allow them to get into trouble,” he said.
“That’s where some false information is coming from. If care isn’t given right away, these women could be sick or bleed to death, among other things. “That’s not true,” Plambeck said.
Pillen told doctors that they should call DHHS if they have any questions or if a woman who is having a miscarriage has been turned away from care.
Article Source: Gov, chief medical officer concerned over ‘misinformation’ on abortion measures
