Gov. Janet Mills has signed into law a bill that expands protections for health care providers in Maine who prescribe abortion medication.
Maine already has a so-called "shield" law that protects doctors and other health care providers from investigations launched by prosecutors in other states that ban or restrict access to abortion. Supporters of the bill signed by Mills on Thursday say the measure will expand those protections for doctors who prescribe medications — such as Mifepristone and Misoprostol — to induce abortions.
The new law will allow doctors and medical providers to request that their names not appear on the label for such drugs. Instead, the label would list the name of the health care facility that employs the medical professionals. Supporters say the law provides more protection against lawsuits filed by states that restrict access to abortion as well as from harassment or violence against medical providers.
Medication abortion is now the most common type of abortion in Maine and nationally, accounting for roughly 70% of the procedures in Maine in 2023, according to data from the state. Maine and other states where abortion is legal have seen an increase in out-of-state patients seeking abortion care because they cannot access care close to home ever since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Last year, prosecutors in Louisiana charged and attempted to extradite a New York doctor who had prescribed medication abortion to a Louisiana resident. Texas also handed down a six-figure fine on the doctor. But New York is among the states with shield laws that aim to protect abortion providers from actions by other states.
The bill in the Maine Legislature, LD 538, passed both chambers in party-line votes last week, with Democrats in support and Republicans in opposition.
