Iowa Supreme Court to Rule on Telemedicine Abortions Ban

The Iowa Supreme Court will soon release an opinion that could end the use of video conferencing for dispensing abortion-inducing pills to women in rural areas of the state.

The high court indicates an opinion will be issued Friday morning over a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood of the Heartland against the Iowa Board of Medicine.

The board agreed in 2013 to require doctors to be in the room with a patient when dispensing abortion-inducing pills. That effectively bans telemedicine abortion, which allows a doctor to video conference from a separate location. The procedure remains in effect pending the outcome of the case.

The board argues its rule was based on safety concerns. Planned Parenthood says it was politically motivated.

Iowa is one of only two states offering telemedicine abortions.