“This needs to stop. Taking away insurance coverage does not reduce the need for abortions; it only makes it harder for women to get safe medical care.”
Today, the House voted 392-37 to pass the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. Anti-choice representatives took the unnecessary step of including a Hyde Amendment-style provision in the bill, which will vastly expand the restrictions on insurance coverage of abortion. This is a cruel, political move that will disproportionately impact young people, low-income women, and women of color.
Physicians for Reproductive Health board chair Nancy L. Stanwood, MD, MPH, issued the following statement:
“As physicians, my colleagues and I support access to the full range of reproductive health care services, including timely, compassionate abortion care. No one should be denied access to a safe and legal abortion, yet for so many, no insurance coverage for this care makes abortion very difficult, if not impossible, to obtain.
“A woman’s health insurance should meet all of her health care needs, regardless of where her coverage comes from. We strongly oppose these anti-woman, anti-choice politicians’ efforts in Congress to attach the Hyde Amendment’s harmful abortion restrictions on bill after bill. These actions stigmatize abortion, limit access to care, and harm women’s dignity and health.
“Today is just part of a pattern of politicians interfering with personal decision-making. We’ve seen it again and again: They can’t make abortion illegal, so instead they try to make it harder to get.
“This needs to stop. Taking away insurance coverage does not reduce the need for abortions; it only makes it harder for women to get timely, safe medical care.
“If our Congress members truly value the health and economic stability of women and families in the United States, they will work to reverse abortion coverage restrictions and expand access to comprehensive reproductive health care.”