Protecting access

Leaked documents and scientifically inaccurate statements during Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing suggest that he is likely to vote to dismantle Roe v. Wade should he be confirmed to the Supreme Court, giving heightened attention to the future of abortion access in the United States.

As we approach the anniversary of the Hyde Amendment — the federal ban on abortion coverage in Medicaid originally sponsored by U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde in 1976 — we clearly see the harms of restricted access. In particular, bans on abortion coverage force people to delay care, stop individuals from getting the care they need and push people deeper into poverty. Influenced by broader social and economic disparities in the U.S., unintended pregnancy and abortion are disproportionately experienced by low-income women and women of color. Thus, coverage restrictions can both widen health disparities and create unequal access to safe abortion care. Moreover, these bans further stigmatize abortion care — care that 1 in 4 women decide is best for themselves and their families.

And despite persistent reproductive health inequities, lawmakers at the federal level have sought to increase abortion restrictions, as well as reduce funding for comprehensive sex education and threaten funding for contraception and family planning services, all with little progress on policies that would support parenthood such as paid family leave, affordable child care and robust health insurance plans.

Last year, Illinois took an important step toward ensuring that all women have the ability to make the reproductive health decisions that are best for them and their families. Lawmakers passed legislation that removed restrictions on abortion coverage within Medicaid and other state-based insurance plans, recognizing that abortion is necessary health care for many women and access should not be limited by income.

Just as Illinois removed restrictions on coverage for abortion, lawmakers in Congress can do the same at the federal level. At a time when safe and legal abortion is getting harder to access, someone’s income should not be an additional barrier. All individuals should be able to make decisions about their health and future with dignity and economic security.

— Lee Hasselbacher, senior policy researcher, Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health, University of Chicago, Chicago