DECATUR, IL… State Representative Regan Deering (R-Decatur) issued the following release after Governor Pritzker signed HB 5295 into law, establishing the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act.
The new law restricts access to abortion-related medical records by segregating the records and allowing them to be available only to certain providers upon request. The law also mandates that entities that maintain and facilitate the transfer of health information develop and enable certain features to protect patient privacy.
“Protecting patient privacy is important, but HB 5295 goes far beyond privacy protections by creating a completely separate system for concealing abortion-related health records,” said Rep. Deering. “As a pro-life legislator, I am disappointed in my colleagues and Gov. Pritzker for advancing legislation that raises concerns about patient safety and further normalizes abortion access, camouflaged as healthcare.”
Deering also raised concerns about the impact the measure could have on patient care and medical decision-making, noting that there is no time to wait in an emergency.
“Medical decisions are best made when providers have access to complete and accurate health records,” Deering said. “By requiring electronic health networks to segregate certain categories of medical information and restrict how it can be shared, the new law runs the risk of fragmenting patient records in ways that could create gaps in care during emergency situations. These gaps could complicate coordination among providers and ultimately compromise patient health and safety.”
“Medical records are no place to play politics. In a dire situation, medical staff need access to all relevant records, regardless of what they include, to provide the utmost care possible,” concluded Deering.
For more information, please contact the district office at (217) 876-1968 or visit RepDeering.com.
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