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Between Georgia’s HB 481 law (not yet in effect and liable to be at least temporarily stopped by a court), Ohio’s bill that seeks to ban private health insurance coverage of abortion, and Alabama’s bill that would criminalize all abortion, the fight for access to abortion and reproductive healthcare has heated up. These bills are misogyny and patriarchy at their finest, seeking to control the lives and health of those who aren’t cisgender men. We’re angry. Are you? Let’s get to work.
Because federal law and Supreme Court decisions overrule state laws, neither the Georgia law nor the Alabama bill can take abortion access away on their own. The point of these bills is to force a legal challenge that will end up before the newly conservative Supreme Court, which could gut or overturn Roe. In a post-Roe world, abortion wouldn’t become illegal everywhere; instead, each state would have its own laws. Some states protect the right to abortions. Others have laws outlawing it that will go into force if Roe is overturned.
So, what are your state’s laws and policies? Find out with the Guttmacher Institute, and then bookmark Rewire.News’ legislative tracker, which will keep you informed on any changes.
What actually happens in each month of pregnancy? What’s the difference between an embryo and a fetus? And what does it mean for someone to be six weeks pregnant? (Confusingly, it doesn’t mean an egg was fertilized six weeks ago.) Brush up on the female reproductive system with Planned Parenthood’s information on conception, pregnancy, and the menstrual cycle. If you’ve never had a uterus, we suggest spending more than 10 minutes here.
The Ohio bill we mentioned in the introduction doesn’t make abortion illegal. It targets people’s ability to pay for abortions: Health insurance companies cannot cover abortions in Ohio except in extremely limited circumstances.
Insurance has often been a target of anti-choice legislation. The 1976 Hyde Amendment forbids states from using federal Medicaid funds to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother. While states can use their own Medicaid funds to cover abortions in additional “medically necessary” circumstances, most do not.
Check whether Medicaid in your state covers abortions for reasons other than rape, incest, or the life of the mother. Contact your state legislators and advocate for greater coverage in your state, if needed, and ask your federal legislators to repeal the Hyde amendment as well.
Anna North wrote for Vox about would-be anti-abortion laws:
“The gloves are off” among abortion opponents, Kristin Ford, the national communications director for NARAL Pro-Choice America, told Vox. “They feel like they have the wind at their backs and they don’t have to dance around their true intentions anymore.”
Grab a friend and sign up with the "Reality of Roe" campaign run by NARAL. Then check out All* Above All’s 4-part “BOLD Action Plan” to lift Hyde restrictions and ensure everyone has access to the care they need, regardless of income.
