Weekly Ethical Roundabout

Feb 17- March 3

NOTE: Last week’s update was delayed due to my CCRN testing! Thank you for understanding.

Federal:

White House: The President has issued an executive order to the Secretaries of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services, ordering them to take action to enforce healthcare price transparency pursuant to Executive Order 13877. This order was issued during President Trump’s first term to require hospitals to publish a consumer-friendly display of pricing information for 300 services. The order also requires the posting of the negotiated rates of providers, the out-of-network payments, as well as the actual prices for prescription drugs.

Bank Info Security: A federal class action lawsuit has been filed in the District Court of Western Washington (W.D. Wash.) against Amazon for the collection of private health data without user consent. The lawsuit alleges Amazon violated a host of federal laws and Washington state’s My Health My Data (MHMD) Act by its Amazon Ads software development kit’s collection of user location and biometric data. The lawsuit alleges that through a variety of Amazon apps, which has an estimated market share on the Google Play and Apple App Stores of 84% and 74% respectfully, Amazon was able to gather and monatize important consumer data.

NY Post: A bill has been introduced in the Senate to prohibit federal funding of gain-of-function viral research. Senate Bill 738, Dangerous Viral Gain-of-Function Research Moratorium Act of 2025, follows in the wake of the CIA, FBI, and CDC theorizing that the COVID-19 virus was accidentally leaked from a gain-of-function lab. If correct, this research was conducted in spite of the moratorium on this field of research funding put in place during the Obama Administration.

ABA Banking Journal: The Senate and House have submitted companion bills to permanently allow patients to utilize their health savings accounts for telehealth services before meeting their insurance deductible. The Senate Bill, the Telehealth Expansion Act of 2025, would indefinitely extend the rural access changes to telehealth first enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

State:

The Oklahoman: State legislators have introduced a number of bills to amend the state’s current abortion laws. Written to conform to a 2023 Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling, House Bill 1008 removes the definition of “medical emergency” and will restrict abortion services except to preserve the life of a pregnant woman. House Bill 1168, recently passed through the Judiciary Committee, creates a felony offense for knowingly deliverying, or possessing with intent to delivery, abortifactients. The bill would not apply to distributors and pharmacists in the usual course of their business.

Georgia Recorder: The Georgia House has passed a bill package to address access to fertility treatment for state residents. House Bill 428 amends the Georgia Code to include a right of individuals to access in vitro fertilization. The bill provides a definition of the procedure included, as well as codifying that residents have a right to the service.

WBIR: Tennessee Senators and Representatives have introduced companino bills to securfe access to contraceptives and fertilitiy treatments. Senate Bill 0449 and and House Bill 0533, the Fertility Treatment and Contraceptive Protection Act, codifies a state right to fertility treatments and contraception and the right of providers to supply these services.

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs: A bill has passed the Oklahoma House Publkic Health Committee that would permit medical providers to refraim from performing actions that violate their religions or moral beliefs. Oklahoma House Bill 1224 would extend this protection tohealth care intitutions and payors as well, thus allowing for religious and conscience based staffing and practice decisions. The bill also provides for protection from state licensing boards to protect individuals exercising their First Amendment from losing their license to practice.

Alabama Daily News: The Alabama Senate has two dueling pharmacy bills that address the current issue of cost reimbursements by pharmacy benefit managers in the state. Senate Bill 93 would prohibit benefit managers from paying pharmacies less than the actual cost of the prescription, as well as limit their ability to charge family pharmacies fees to participate within the insurance network and to process claims.

West Virginia Watch: West Virgina members of congress have introduced a bill to remove exceptions in the state’s abortion law for rape and incest. House Bill 2712 revises the law’s exceptions for rape and incest victims, who under the current law can access services up to the 14th week of pregnancy. This bill would amend a 2022 law which instituted the exceptions of medical emergency, rape, and incest. A similiar bill was removed from consideration after the bill’s sponsor received threats against his person.

AOL: The Illinois Senate is reviewing a bill that, if passed, would make Illinois the 11th state to allow provider-aid in dying. Senate Bill 9, the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, will allow qualified patients diagnosed with a terminal disease to request aid-in-dying medication from a provider. In addition, the bill details the procedures for qualifiying procedures, the responsibilities of the attending and consulting physicians, and the effect of the bill on the state’s estate laws.

Glances Abroad:

BBC: The Isle of Man is set to pass the first aid-in-dying law in the British Isles. The law would establish eligiblity for the process, with the House of Keys currently debating on the necessary length of residency. Other bills are currently in various stages of review for Jersey, England, Wales, and Scotland. The Isle of Man bill differs than the bill in England and Wales by requiring a diagnosis of 12 months to live as opposed to six months. In addition, the proposed law will require a consensus of two doctors, differing from the expert panel consensus of the proposed law in England and Wales.