AUGUSTA - Today, House Democrats unveiled three pieces of legislation aimed at continuing to increase protections for accessing abortion care in Maine.
Together, the measures would strengthen safeguards for Maine's health care providers, ensure that every Mainer has the same rights to abortion care regardless of where they live and expand access so those who choose to exercise their right to an abortion can get the care they need.
An Act to Protect Health Care Professionals Providing Reproductive Health Care, sponsored by Rep. Amy Kuhn, D-Falmouth, would strengthen protections for health care providers so that they may offer abortion care for people traveling to Maine without threats to their ability to practice medicine. This proposal is consistent with Governor Mills 2022 executive order protecting patients traveling to Maine from states with abortion bans.
"Decisions about abortion care are private and should be made between patients and their health care providers, not politicians," said Kuhn. "Last year's Supreme Court decision introduced a lot of uncertainty about how state laws will interact with each other and impact abortion care access across the country. This bill will eliminate one of those uncertainties, providing more peace of mind for patients and providers."
An Act to Protect the Reproductive Freedom of Maine People, sponsored by Rep. Laura Supica, D-Bangor, would prevent local municipalities from restricting access to abortion care, ensuring that every Mainer has the same rights, regardless of what town they live in.
"While we should be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision this week, we are instead faced with the reminder of the work we have ahead of us to ensure that abortion care remains accessible to every Mainer," said Supica. "This legislation will proactively prevent the creation of a patchwork of local restrictions and guarantee the right to abortion everywhere in Maine, regardless of where someone lives."
An Act to Remove Barriers to Comprehensive Pregnancy Care in Private Insurance, sponsored by Rep. Matt Moonen, D-Portland, would expand abortion access by requiring insurance companies to cover abortion care without cost sharing. While current Maine law requires private insurance to cover abortion care as a part of comprehensive pregnancy care, many health insurance plans require that patients pay out-of-pocket for abortion care until they meet deductibles, causing delays in care.
"For too many Mainers, unexpected medical costs mean choosing between paying for care or covering the rent and putting food on the table," said Moonen. "Even though Maine law requires private insurers to cover abortion as part of comprehensive reproductive health care, the out-of-pocket costs are often so high that people struggle to afford them, causing delays in accessing the care they need. This bill will require abortion care to be covered without cost sharing like copays and deductibles to make sure Maine people can access care when they need it."
Contact:
Brian Lee [Kuhn, Supica, Moonen], 305-965-2744