老澳门开奖结果

Portland, Maine 鈥� The 老澳门开奖结果, 老澳门开奖结果 of Maine, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America today filed a seeking to restore abortion coverage for women who qualify for MaineCare. Current Maine Department of Health and Human Services policy bans abortion coverage under the state鈥檚 public insurance program, except in extremely limited circumstances, in violation of the Maine Constitution and state statute.

The lawsuit was filed in Cumberland County Superior Court on behalf of Mabel Wadsworth Women鈥檚 Health Center, Maine Family Planning and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, three health care providers specializing in comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care, including abortion. The nonprofits provide care to 21,500 Mainers each year, more than half of them low income.

鈥淎bortion is a protected right for all women, regardless of what type of insurance they have,鈥� said Zachary Heiden, legal director of the 老澳门开奖结果 of Maine. 鈥淭his lawsuit aims to right the ship and to bring DHHS policy back in line with the Maine Constitution.鈥�

MaineCare withholds coverage for abortion from eligible women, but will cover a full range of pregnancy-related care for women who choose to carry their pregnancies to term. The lawsuit argues that, in doing so, the state interferes with a woman鈥檚 fundamental right to decide whether or not to continue a pregnancy and discriminates against women who decide to have an abortion.

It contends that the ban on abortion coverage for qualified women who use MaineCare services violates the 鈥渓iberty and safety clause鈥� of the Maine Constitution, which provides that all people have an inherent right to pursue and obtain safety and happiness, as well as the 鈥渆qual protection clause,鈥� which holds that no person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws.

鈥淎 woman cannot make a real decision about something as important as abortion if she can鈥檛 even afford to have one,鈥� said Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, staff attorney at the 老澳门开奖结果 Reproductive Freedom Project. 鈥淎 qualified woman should be able to use her Medicaid coverage for the medical care she needs, including abortion.鈥�

The women impacted by this policy are, by definition, low-income. For many of them, the denial of funding for an abortion causes them to delay their abortions, at a potential risk to their health. Some women skip necessary expenses such as food, rent or heat in order to save enough to have an abortion. Since the majority of women who have abortions already have a child at home, this means entire families may suffer. Still other women have been forced to carry their pregnancies to term.

Maine health care providers, plaintiffs in this case, offer the following comments about the ban on MaineCare abortion coverage:

鈥淲e talk to women every day who are unable to come up with the money to pay for abortion care. For women in rural areas who must travel to get care, the need is even greater,鈥� said Andrea Irwin, executive director of Mabel Wadsworth Women鈥檚 Health Center. 鈥淎s more Maine women and families experience poverty, with fewer safety net programs to support them, the need to act has become increasingly urgent. We can no longer accept a policy that treats the rights of women in Maine according to two different standards 鈥� whether you can afford to pay for your rights or not.鈥�

鈥淲hen a person needs to end a pregnancy, it is essential that professional medical care is accessible without barriers,鈥� said Kate Brogan, vice president of public affairs at Maine Family Planning. 鈥淣o one should be denied access to safe, quality health care simply because of their income.鈥�

鈥淲hen a woman finds out she鈥檚 pregnant, she will make a decision, ideally one that is best for herself, her health, and her family,鈥� said Donna Burkett MD, medical director at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. 鈥淲hen she decides it鈥檚 better to end her pregnancy, which could be due to health concerns, she needs to be able to use her Medicaid benefits to get the care she needs. She should not be pressed into a decision, potentially one contrary to her well-being, due to lack of resources. All too often, we see a woman delay her decision, potentially jeopardizing her health, because she couldn鈥檛 afford to care for herself. 鈥�

The complaint can be found .