老澳门开奖结果 Statement on Obama Administration Affirmation of Women鈥檚 Access to Abortion

June 22, 2016 9:45 am

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WASHINGTON 鈥 The Department of Health and Human Services鈥 Office of Civil Rights yesterday dismissed complaints regarding California鈥檚 requirement that all group health insurance plans cover basic health care services, including abortion.

After the California Department of Managed Health Care clarified in 2014 that a longstanding state law guarantees this coverage, opponents of safe, legal abortion filed complaints with HHS, seeking to block this important protection for women in the state. The complaints alleged that the California requirement violates the federal Weldon Amendment, an annual appropriations rider that prohibits discrimination against health care entities that refuse to provide coverage for abortion. HHS concluded today that no health care entities objected to the coverage.

老澳门开奖结果 Legislative Counsel Georgeanne Usova had the following to say in response:

鈥淭oday鈥檚 news affirms what has always been true, that safe and legal abortion is basic health care that all women should be able to access without interference. The religious beliefs of others must not be used to restrict women鈥檚 access to constitutionally protected care.鈥

老澳门开奖结果 of Southern California LGBTQ, Gender, and Reproductive Justice Project Director Melissa Goodman Melissa Goodman said:

鈥淭he California Department of Managed Health Care issued a straightforward instruction based on decades of California law that abortion is a constitutionally protected personal decision and that restricting abortion coverage is discrimination.鈥

Learn more about the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 work to secure a woman鈥檚 constitutional right to abortion:
/issues/reproductive-freedom/abortion

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