Biden administration reverses Trump-era abortion referral ban on clinics

The Biden administration on Monday lifted a Trump-era rule that restricted federal funds from family planning clinics that provide abortion referrals.

The new rule will go into effect on Nov. 8, and allows major providers like Planned Parenthood to once again participate in Title X, the federal family planning program that gives more than $250 million a year to clinics providing basic health care services to low-income women.

"This rule is a step forward for family planning care as it aims to strengthen and restore our nation's Title X program," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. "Our nation's family planning clinics play a critical role in delivering health care, and today more than ever, we are making clear that access to quality family planning care includes accurate information and referrals based on a patient's needs and direction."

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Trump enacted the policy in 2018, and the Department of Health and Human Services estimates that the number of patients served by family planning clinics dropped 40 percent after it went into effect, which may have led to more than 180,000 unintended pregnancies, The Associated Press reports.