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The State Strategy: Abortion Foes Undermine Access to Health Care State-by-State

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August 30, 2011

In a recent New York Times editorial, the Times highlights the mounting trend of efforts at the state level to make access to abortion care as onerous as possible for women. At the heart of the Times‘ argument is an ACLU case challenging a Kansas law that prohibits insurance companies from including coverage for abortion in their comprehensive plans.

From the New York Times:

Since last year, 13 states, including Kansas, have enacted laws banning insurance coverage of abortion in the health insurance exchanges created by the federal health care reform law. Some states have gone even further, aggressively restricting abortion coverage even in private insurance plans sold outside the exchanges.

And it’s not just insurance coverage for abortion that is under attack. This year we’ve seen a plethora of state laws designed to create hurdles for women seeking access to health care including: efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, attacks on the tax code to punish groups that even mention abortion as part of their referral services and mandatory delays and forced consultation with so-called “pregnancy crisis centers.” These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. As we’ve said before, this has been one of the worst years for women who are simply seeking to make decisions about their own health care without undue and burdensome interference from politicians who oppose abortion.

The Times editorial goes on to say: “These cases, some of which are being appealed, are testing whether the antiabortion movement will get its way.”

Stand with the ACLU and help us make sure that the anti-abortion movement doesn’t get its way. Help us defend reproductive freedom across the country.

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