Women accessing Planned Parenthood in Maryland will no longer have to worry about it shutting down as Maryland legislators decided Thursday to reimburse the reproductive health care clinics should Congress decide to defund it. Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan did not sign the bill that would safeguard women's reproductive health but did not veto it either.
The bill consists of 14 other measures including one that will provide state funds to the attorney general’s office allowing it to sue the Donald Trump administration on policies such as health care, immigration and the environment.
Sen. Richard S. Madaleno, Jr. (D-Montgomery), the sponsor of the bill said, “Today, Maryland makes history … unfortunately without the support of the governor,” adding, “While I wish our state didn’t need to fight the attacks on comprehensive health care by Congress, we are proud to stand up and protect access in Maryland.”
According to AP, U.S. law already prohibits federal money from being used to pay for most abortions, but the Republican health overhaul would cut off more than US$400 million in Medicaid reimbursements and other federal funding to Planned Parenthood for non-abortion services, including birth control provided to about 2 million women annually.
Republicans in Congress have long wished to strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding but many state legislators are trying to ensure that women have access to safe and affordable reproductive health care. Apart from Maryland, lawmakers in Nevada and Oregon are working toward easy access to birth control for women for a period of 12 months and are trying to convince insurers that they provide insurance for contraceptives with zero co-pay.