WASHINGTON—Today, the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) recognizes the 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, which established a woman’s legal right to obtain an abortion.
“It’s been decades since Roe, but still the ability of women to determine whether and when to become a parent is out of reach for so many women,” said NHeLP Executive Director Elizabeth G. Taylor. “The combination of state and federal restrictions on access to abortion services has led to glaring inequities that deeply impact the ability of low-income women and women of color to obtain the care they need. Each year, the Hyde Amendment denies low-income women the ability to make decisions about their health. It is disappointing that in the face of this need, some in Congress continue to seek to further erode women’s access to health care.”
Barriers to abortion services, including bans on public and private insurance coverage, unreasonable restrictions on providers, arbitrary waiting periods, and costs are significant challenges for women. As outlined in Elizabeth G. Taylor’s latest Huffington Post column, all women should have access to a full range of quality reproductive health services, including abortion, regardless of whether they have public or private insurance.
NHeLP actively works to advance women’s health, protects the integrity of the Medicaid program and the advances made by the Affordable Care Act, and combats restrictions and refusal clauses that aim to limit women’s care.
