Judge Waived The In-Person Requirements For Abortion Pills

The Hill Reports: Judge waives requirement for in-person visit to get abortion pill during pandemic

On Monday, a federal judge waived the requirement that patients must have an in-person visit to a hospital or clinic to get an abortion pill during the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, an Obama appointee, ruled that “in-person requirements” for those seeking an abortion and the drug mifepristone are a “substantial obstacle” and unconstitutional amid the ongoing health crisis. 

“By causing certain patients to decide between forgoing or substantially delaying abortion care, or risking exposure to COVID-19 for themselves, their children, and family members, the In-Person Requirements present a serious burden to many abortion patients,” Chuang wrote in the ruling obtained by The Associated Press.

Now, under the ruling, health care providers can mail or deliver mifepristone to patients, so long as the public health crisis is occurring.