“When a woman faces an unintended pregnancy, she needs to have access to all her options. The amount of money that she makes or how she is insured shouldn’t limit her decision-making ability.”
New York, NY—Physicians for Reproductive Health joined a large coalition today in praising the introduction of the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act by Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Diane DeGette (D-CO), and Louise Slaughter (D-NY) along with 66 cosponsors to ensure that every woman insured through the federal government can have access to abortion care. The EACH Woman Act will overturn the Hyde Amendment that for over 40 years has barred coverage of abortion for these women. This includes not only those who have Medicaid insurance, but also those who are insured through the Indian Health Service, serve in the military or the Peace Corps, or hold federal government jobs.
Physicians for Reproductive Health chair-elect, Dr. Willie Parker, issued the following statement:
“When a woman faces an unintended pregnancy, she needs to have access to all her options. The amount of money that she makes or how she is insured shouldn’t limit her decision-making ability. A woman’s health insurance should meet all her needs, regardless of how she gets her insurance, where she lives, or how little money she has. She needs to make the decision that is right for her and her family without government interference.
“I provide abortion care in the South, home to some of the poorest Americans. The women I see, many of whom have Medicaid insurance, are denied coverage for their abortion care. They are often living paycheck to paycheck and the cost of an abortion only pushes them deeper into poverty. Daily, we see patients, many of whom are already mothers, who need to sell their belongings or skip rent payments in order to afford their care.
“The Hyde Amendment reminds me of the cruel jest that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of when citing conservative opponents’ admonishment that people pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but deny them the resources to get boots. As a doctor, it is my duty to provide women with high quality compassionate care and without insurance, they can’t always afford to make it to my clinic.
“A woman’s options shouldn’t be dictated by how much money she makes. It’s time to put an end to this discriminatory practice. It is not just a matter of fairness, it is a matter of justice.”
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