INDIANAPOLIS — Advocates in Indianapolis are urging people to take action to protect patient confidentiality on Wednesday.
This comes after anannouncement Tuesday that the Indiana Department of Health will release previously withheld Terminated Pregnancy Reports or TPRs.
A terminated pregnancy report includes information like the date of termination, estimated gestational age, and reasons for the procedure.
However, it does not include a patient’s name.
This week — IDOH conceded in a 2024 lawsuit filed on behalf of the advocacy group Voices for Life.
According to the terms of the settlement, IDOH will now release TPRs upon lawful request and not designate the reports as confidential medical records.
“It further scrutinizes the doctors. It provides their information, which is publicly available, that opens them up to possible harassment or even harm. It’s scary for providers. We don’t need more providers leaving our state which is what this could potentially do," Indiana State Director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates Haley Bougher said.
Abortions can be performed in Indiana in the following cases: fatal fetal anomaly, rape or incest, and threats to the pregnant person’s life.
Bougher worries that releasing TPRs could expose sensitive medical details, violate patient privacy and reveal patients’ identities — even without including the patient’s name.
There is currently a bill going through the statehouse that would keep that information private.
Senate Bill 191 states the performance of an abortion that is submitted to the Indiana Department of Health is a medical record, confidential, and not subject to disclosure as a public record.
She encourages lawmakers and the public to support SB 191.
It's been assigned to a committee but has yet to come up for a debate.
