Missouri health care workers: Tell us how the trigger ban is affecting care at your clinic

Local health care providers and prosecutors are still discerning exactly what Missouri’s trigger ban on abortions will mean for access to reproductive health care in the state going forward.

The Star is continuing to report on the law’s effects, but we could use your help.

If you are a health care worker in Kansas City or another part of Missouri and have heard about changing policies or processes around care at your hospital or clinic, we want to hear from you. You know what’s happening in your hospital or clinic better than anyone.

Confusion and concern about the trigger ban caused at least one local health system, Saint Luke’s, to briefly stop providing emergency contraceptives on Tuesday due to potential legal risk. Saint Luke’s later reversed their decision to not provide Plan B on Wednesday afternoon.

The decision to reverse came after Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Gov. Mike Parson, both Republicans, affirmed that birth control is not banned in Missouri.

“Missouri law does not prohibit the use or provision of Plan B, or contraception,” said Chris Nuelle, spokesperson for Schmitt.

Although Missouri health care providers can offer emergency contraception and other birth control to patients, exactly how the state’s trigger ban on abortions will be enforced and how it will affect patient care going forward is still uncertain, and shifting by the day.

The Star plans to continue reporting on how the abortion ban will affect health care, including how it could possibly directly affect reproductive health care, or indirectly affect other care.

If you are a health care worker who knows of changes or has concerns about care being provided after the law went into effect, The Star wants to hear from you.

You can fill out the form below. Any personal or contact information is so a reporter can follow up with you. We need it to be able to follow up on any information you share, and we promise to not publish your name or any personally identifying information without your explicit consent first.

If you would rather, you can email The Star directly at kcq@kcstar.com.