If we pay attention to those whose lives have already been destroyed by an inability to access abortion, we can see our collective future and the depths the challenges to come. Centering the voices of those who have struggled to get care—even as we recognize the implications of Dobbs on everyone—allows us to predict at least three immediate consequences of last week’s decision.
Tag: Medicare and Medicaid
Five Actions the Biden Administration Can Take To Expand and Protect Abortion Access
The Biden–Harris administration alone cannot solve the abortion access crisis that will worsen now that Roe is officially overturned—but it is not without options to act. By exploring the five avenues discussed here, the administration can help mitigate the harm that is about to come.
Number of U.S. Abortions Increased 8 Percent During Trump Administration, Reversing 30-Year Trend: ‘The Need for Abortion Care Is Growing’
The number of abortions in the U.S. increased by 8 percent during the Trump-Pence administration. Overall, fewer people became pregnant, but among those who did, a larger proportion chose to have an abortion. About one in five pregnancies in 2020 ended in abortion.
This research reveals a dramatic reversal of a 30-year trend of declining numbers of abortion, “underscoring that the need for abortion care in the United States is growing just as the U.S. Supreme Court appears likely to overturn or gut Roe v. Wade.”
Abortion Clinics’ Post-Roe Future: ‘We Will Be Forced to Close Our Doors Within 30 Days’
A decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is due out any day, one that feminist organizers are now sure will reverse Roe v. Wade and strip millions of their longstanding right to abortion. Clinics in protected areas are bracing for an influx of patients while those in anti-abortion states are preparing to operate in a hostile environment — or shut down completely.
“We are aware that Washington and other states where abortion is legally protected are being seen as the safety net,” said clinic director Sanchez in Washington. “And honestly, the safety net has holes in it.”
25 U.S. Senators Urge Biden to Issue Executive Order Protecting Abortion Rights: ‘An All-Hands-on-Deck Moment’
With the Supreme Court likely to overturn Roe v. Wade any day now, Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and 23 of their Senate colleagues are urging President Biden to “demonstrate to the country and women everywhere that you will do everything in your power to fight back.”
Rep. Carolyn Maloney Pushes Corporations for Better Birth Control Coverage
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), as chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee, sent letters to the top insurance companies and their pharmacy benefit managers requesting information on their activities related to birth control coverage as required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
“I am deeply troubled by reports that health plans and issuers may not be fully complying with the ACA’s requirement to cover contraceptives at no cost, potentially depriving patients access to critically important reproductive health care,” Maloney said.
Criminalizing Abortion and Gender-Affirming Care Marks Political Invasion of Evidence-Based Healthcare
Abortion care is no stranger to the oppressive weight of political ideology, and the current furor over transgender youth healthcare, emblemized by a slew of attacks in state capitals across the country exemplifies a resurgent threat to evidence-based medical practice, patients’ health and lives, and physicians’ consciences and careers.
The Fight to Secure U.S. Abortion Rights Is Global
Overturning Roe v. Wade will unleash devastating rollbacks on abortion across the United States, while also impacting U.S. foreign policy. Already, the Helms Amendment, Siljander Amendment, global gag rule and other restrictions form a collective—and deadly—U.S. foreign policy package that has had disastrous impacts on global health, including an increase in maternal mortality, unsafe abortions and HIV infections, as well as a decline in the overall quality of healthcare.
While the forthcoming decision, and its catastrophic fallout, is not likely to have an immediate global impact, it will undercut efforts to remove these restrictions and embolden the anti-abortion lobby to further instrumentalize U.S. foreign policy to promote its ideology.
How States Can and Should Protect Abortion Rights and Access
Abortion rights should never depend on someone’s zip code. Each state must do its part to ensure legal and more equitable access to abortion care.
Building Protections for Reproductive Autonomy in State Constitutions
A more expansive vision for reproductive autonomy is necessary—and state courts can lead the way. Over the last three decades, high courts in 11 states have recognized that their constitutions protect abortion rights independently from and more strongly than the U.S. Constitution, or have struck down restrictive laws that the Supreme Court has upheld.