On Monday, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed H.5595, titled An Act Prioritizing Patient Access To Care (full text). Under previous law, abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy were permitted only where necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother, or where there is lethal fetal anomaly or grave fetal diagnosis that is incompatible with sustained life outside of the uterus. The new law instead allows abortions to be performed by physicians after 24 weeks "based upon the professional judgment of the physician." It provides further that "no medical review process shall override the professional judgment of a treating physician and a patient or the patient’s health care proxy to provide an abortion.... " And it eliminates the requirement that abortions after 24 weeks be performed in a hospital authorized to provide obstetrical services.
A press release from the Governor's office says in part:
The legislation updates Massachusetts' abortion law by allowing physicians to rely on their professional medical judgment, consistent with accepted standards of care, when providing abortion care later in pregnancy. The law is intended to ensure that patients facing devastating fetal diagnoses, serious pregnancy complications or other complex medical circumstances can receive timely care without unnecessary legal uncertainty.
NBC Boston reports on the new law.