The ‘abortion queen’ wants patients to have ‘skin in the game.’ Is that restricting access? Eric Boodman By Eric Boodman

https://www.statnews.com/2023/10/11/abortion-diane-derzis-patients-payment/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=277803236&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_duoe8l3mb3hPYX9C2EGaLqDy8YBp8MyelQmJa1vBFMUngkCi3WMPOOBwguCtWm6YDcKHJD-2_-IM0tevE-SmuZSH1gg&utm_content=277803236&utm_source=hs_email Stephanie Rosenwinge was excited to work for the “abortion queen,” Diane Derzis (above), who owned the clinic at the center of the Dobbs decision. Rosenwinge had firsthand experience with the importance of abortion care, and she thought of her new boss as a hero. But she was alarmed, she said, when Derzis instructed staff to make sure that patients were paying at least something out of pocket, even if abortion funds had agreed to cover that person’s entire bill. Other former employees shared Rosenwinge’s concerns. Derzis told STAT that this directive was a way of making sure that limited funds were being used wisely. There was also a cash flow issue, she went on, explaining that abortion funds are often months late in sending large sums — and she needs that money to pay staff and rent. In this disagreement lies a broader question: How to ethically provide care in a crisis? STAT’s Eric Boodman has more.Stephanie Rosenwinge was excited to work for the “abortion queen,” Diane Derzis (above), who owned the clinic at the center of the Dobbs decision. Rosenwinge had firsthand experience with the importance of abortion care, and she thought of her new boss as a hero. But she was alarmed, she said, when Derzis instructed staff to make sure that patients were paying at least something out of pocket, even if abortion funds had agreed to cover that person’s entire bill. Other former employees shared Rosenwinge’s concerns. Derzis told STAT that this directive was a way of making sure that limited funds were being used wisely. There was also a cash flow issue, she went on, explaining that abortion funds are often months late in sending large sums — and she needs that money to pay staff and rent. In this disagreement lies a broader question: How to ethically provide care in a crisis? STAT’s Eric Boodman has more.