Latest news with #LesleyLopez
Associated Press
13-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signs bill to tap unused ACA insurance funds for abortion grant program
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland will become the first state to use money collected from a surcharge on insurance plans sold under the Affordable Care Act to fund a program to pay for abortions, regardless of a patient's insurance coverage, under a measure signed into law Tuesday by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore. The law will make about $25 million available when it takes effect July 1, because a $1 surcharge has been unused and growing over the last 15 years since the ACA took effect in 2010. It's estimated to make about $3 million available annually in future years. 'The lieutenant governor and I were very clear from Day 1 — that Maryland will always be a safe haven for abortion access,' Moore said, highlighting the measure among SOME 170 bills signed at a ceremony. The program will be paid for through the transfer of certain insurance premium funds collected by carriers that can only be used for abortion coverage in accordance with the ACA. Supporters say other states have access to a similar surplus of funds through their state exchange insurance systems. 'If programs like ours are duplicated across the country, we could help millions of Americans access essential abortion care — without relying on taxpayer dollars,' said Del. Lesley Lopez, a Democrat from Maryland's Montgomery County, in the suburbs of the nation's capital. Officials in New York and Illinois already have reached out to Maryland officials to learn more about the program, said Lopez, who sponsored the bill. A dozen states require abortion coverage in ACA marketplace plans, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues. They are California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. 'This money exists in every state that has abortion as a required type of care under their state's benefit exchanges,' Lopez said. 'It's basically all the blue states that mandated abortion be covered when the Affordable Care Act was starting to be implemented.' The law creates a grant program fund in the state's health department to improve access to abortion clinical services. It requires the department to award grants to nonprofit organizations to support equitable access. Lynn McCann-Yeh, co-executive director of the Baltimore Abortion Fund, which helps pay costs associated with abortion for people who live in Maryland or who travel there, said it's hard to keep up with an annual budget of about $2 million. 'We would need many, many more times over that to fully be able to meet the full logistic and medical support for each caller,' she said. She said the $3 million that would be made available annually under the new law could make a major difference. The fund could apply to administer a share of that money. 'The $3 million is a great start, but it will take more than that and it will take sustained funding,' she said. Maryland's legislature is controlled by Democrats, who hold a 2-1 advantage over Republicans in voter registration statewide. Last year, Maryland voters approved a constitutional amendment with 76% support to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution, in response to the 2022 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. The court's decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization gave control over abortion to the states. 'I think before the Dobbs decision, there just wasn't quite the same type of urgency as there is now,' Lopez said. 'We've seen abortion bans in some form or another in double digits in states across the country, so we've got to make sure that we shore up all the support we can in a state like Maryland that has it as a constitutionally protected right.' Twelve states currently enforce abortion bans with limited exceptions at all stages of pregnancy. Four more have bans that kick in after about six weeks, which is before many women know they're pregnant. The Dobb decision and an influx of people from other states seeking abortions in Maryland has made the financial need more urgent, supporters of the law say. Maryland has been seeing an increase in patients from other states where abortion has been banned. Last year, 15% of abortions in Maryland were obtained by patients from other states, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. That's a decrease from 20% in 2023. ___ Associated Press journalist Geoff Mulvihill contributed to this report from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
GOP attempt to derail abortion-funding bill falls short after emotional debate
Del. Lesley Lopez (D-Montgomery), in the House chamber Thursday, defended her bill to create a fund to help pay for abortion services for uninsured and underinsured women. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) Lawmakers on both sides of the abortion debate shared personal and emotional stories Thursday, with one holding back tears at one point, in a failed Republican attempt to derail a bill that would make millions available to help pay for the procedure. The House ultimately voted 98-37 along party lines Thursday night to approve House Bill 930, but not before 40 minutes of debate during a House session earlier in the day when Republicans tried to put up a variety of amendments. The debate, at times, got personal. Del. Tiffany T. Alston, (D-Prince George's County), said the state should stay out of decisions about an abortion, which 'should be made between a doctor and a patient.' 'As someone who has had a transvaginal ultrasound and had an ectopic pregnancy, you do not get those sounds out of your head,' Alston said. 'It was a medical emergency – and it is not the government's business about what happens with my body, when I am meeting with my doctor. We should not be legislating this stuff.' On the other side, Del. April Rose (R-Frederick and Carroll) told the story of a niece who was encouraged to end her pregnancy due to presumed medical issues of the fetus. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 'My niece had a transvaginal ultrasound. Her baby was the size, actually smaller, than this bottle,' she said, holding up a standard-sized disposable water bottle. 'She was told that she should abort the baby because of all of the potential health implications. He is 4 – and he is fantastic,' Rose said, her voice starting to shake as she held back tears. 'I am standing for him, and for the women who should have the opportunity to make the choice of life.' Many of the amendments debated Thursday were recycled versions of measures that have been tried and killed in recent committee hearings or in previous years by the heavily Democratic and pro-abortion legislature. Anti-abortion arguments can be a tough sell in Maryland, where voters in November voted 3-1 for a constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights, but that didn't keep Republican lawmakers from trying. They were challenging Del. Lesley J. Lopez's (D-Montgomery) HB930, which would give the state Department of Health access to about $25 million in funds that were collected as part of the federal Affordable Care Act, but have not been spent down. The money comes from $1-a-month fee that insurers in the ACA marketplace are required to collect on every policy to fund abortion services for their policyholders. The fund has been growing by about $3 million a year for the past 15 years, as collections have outpaced need. If the bill is passed and signed into law, those funds would be distributed to providers to help cover abortion costs for uninsured and underinsured individuals, along with other situations. Del. William J. Wivell (R-Washington and Frederick) offered an amendment that would require data collection on abortions done in the state, including the method of abortion, age of the fetus and reason for the abortion. Lopez reminded him that he submitted similar language in a bill back in 2020, when it 'died a dignified and peaceful death in a drawer,' she said, meaning the bill was never brought to a vote because it was not likely to pass out of the Health and Government Operations Committee. 'The reason why the committee did not move on it, was because it was out of alignment with the will of the committee and the will of the body,' Lopez said. 'We have been actively working to try to protect data on reproductive care for years.' When that amendment failed on party lines, Wivell offered an amendment that would have required a 24-hour wait time after a transabdominal ultrasound before a pregnant patient could receive an abortion. It would also have the physician offer to let the patient hear the 'fetal heartbeat.' The amendment resembled legislation that was scheduled for a hearing in February but withdrawn by the sponsor, said Lopez, who called for its defeat. 'I think it's important to note that just last November, our voters, in almost every single legislative district, voted to enshrine reproductive rights without conditions into our constitution — and what this amendment does, is introduce a condition for care,' Lopez said. Del. Susan K. McComas (R-Harford), didn't see it that way, and argued that Wivell's amendment was a matter of 'informed consent.' 'I have been corresponding with a lady out in Western Maryland who has had two abortions,' McComas said 'She is very, very sorry that she was not allowed to know that she could have a sonogram, and she might not have had those two abortions if she knew she could hear a heartbeat.' Marathon of abortion-related bills in House Health committee shows fight is not over in the state That amendment failed, as did three other GOP proposals, including one to require the collection of data on how many, if any, taxpayer dollars go to abortion services for out-of-state patients. Another would have restricted use of the ACA grants to abortions provided to Maryland residents, excluding patients who come in from out of town. The last amendment would have required that abortion providers receive training to spot signs of sex trafficking victims. Lopez said that was unnecessary, since medical providers already get similar training. Lopez urged passage of her bill, saying the ACA dollars would otherwise go to waste. 'These funds have been collected for the past 15 years, and they have no other purpose than going to provide abortion services,' Lopez said. 'If we do not use those funds, if we do not have a grant program, they will continue to get dusty, they will go unused.' Full House approval of the bill comes just days before Monday's 'cross-over' deadline, the date by which a bill must be approved by one chamber of the legislature to be guaranteed a hearing in the other. The Senate version of the bill, Senate Bill 848, was approved 8-3 in a party-line vote in the Finance Committee earlier this week. It is likely to come up for a vote by the full Senate soon. In committee, Republicans unsuccessfully offered two familiar amendments to SB848, which was sponsored by Sen. Guy Guzzone (D-Howard). Sen. Johnny Mautz (R-Middle Shore) on Wednesday offered an amendment to require reporting on the use of taxpayer funds toward abortion, specifically looking at how many residents are benefiting from the fund compared to the number of out-of-state patients, similar to an amendment that would be offered on HB 390 the following day. Same goes for an amendment that Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll) offered, to require that ACA-funded grants for abortion services be restricted to Maryland residents. Both Republican-backed amendments failed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Maryland lawmakers propose abortion grant program as requests for help ‘skyrocket'
BALTIMORE — Dozens of Maryland lawmakers want to create a stable funding source for abortion care months after state residents voted to enshrine access to reproductive health care, including abortion, in the state constitution. House Bill 930, sponsored by Del. Lesley Lopez, a Montgomery County Democrat, would create the Public Health Abortion Grant Program under the state health department to help fund abortion care for people who are uninsured, underinsured or unable to use their insurance due to risks posed by communication from insurance carriers regarding coverage, according to the bill language. 'We'll have lots of hard choices to make this session, but this bill is not one of them,' she said at a House Health and Government Operations Committee bill hearing on Thursday. 'Today, we have the opportunity to invest in the health of residents, improve economic security for our state and to meet the moment with no burden to taxpayers. Abortion is not a luxury, it is health care, and Maryland voters resoundingly agree.' In November, 76% of Marylanders voted in favor of the statewide ballot question concerning access to reproductive health care. Funding for the grant program would come from surplus insurance premiums mandated under the Affordable Care Act. A $1 premium is charged per member per month, exclusively for abortion coverage, Lopez said, and those funds are kept in separate accounts. The Maryland Insurance Administration believes $25 million in funds are available and an additional $3 million is generated annually, she added. To ensure that funds are being used for direct services, Lopez said, the Maryland Department of Health must also give at least 90% of the total program funds to eligible organizations that provide abortion care services. Even though Maryland has abortion protections in place, there are still issues with access to care for certain populations and locations, as well as the reality of providers leaving the field, said Karen Nelson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Maryland. 'Having this fund would limit the stress that's put on providers, and most importantly, the patients themselves,' she said. Lynn McCann-Yeh, co-executive director of the Baltimore Abortion Fund, said requests for assistance from her nonprofit have 'continued to skyrocket' from both Maryland residents and people traveling from out of state for care, leading to limited funding and patients being turned away. Patients sit in waiting rooms across the state, she said, hoping funding will come through and they can be seen, but help isn't always available. 'Our case managers have to tell them, 'I'm sorry, we don't have enough, the best that we can do is give you a ride home or buy a plane ticket so that you can get back,'' McCann-Yeh said of people seeking abortions later in their pregnancies. 'For later care clients, that means they're often remaining pregnant and forced to give birth against their will. It is sickening that this is happening, and it is happening with increasing frequency.' Opponents, however, argued against pushing more funding for abortion. 'The state is actively engaging in abortion coercion because it prioritizes abortion funding while depriving women equal access to life-saving alternatives to abortion,' said Laura Bogley, executive director of Maryland Right to Life. 'If the state really trusts women to decide, then bring these pro-life bills to a vote and give women real choices. The multibillion-dollar abortion industry does not need or deserve more public funding.' ----------
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Marathon of abortion-related bills in House Health committee shows fight is not over in the state
Del. Lesley Lopez sponsorsed HB 930, which would create a grant fund to help expand abortion access. The bill is part of the priority legislation for the The Women Legislators of Maryland. (Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) Marylanders overwhelmingly voted in support of enshrining reproductive rights into the state constitution back in November, but that doesn't mean the debate ended on Election Day. A slew of abortion-related bills from both sides of the issue were heard over an afternoon of testimony Thursday before the House Health and Government Operations Committee. It started with a bill that would tap into around $25 million to expand abortion services, from a fund collected by Affordable Care Act insurers, and ended with a handful of bills from anti-abortion Republicans that have not made it out of committee in recent years. Despite the outcome of the reproductive freedom ballot question last year, both sides on Thursday claimed their bills to be what Marylanders want it comes to abortion. 'Abortion has long been used as a political football,' Del. Lesley Lopez (D-Montgomery) said in opening remarks for House Bill 930. 'But the truth it clear. It is widely supported across political parties: 76% of Marylanders supported adding full reproductive access to our Constitution.' Her bill would utilize money that has been collecting dust for around 15 years. A requirement in the Affordable Care Act, it prompts insurers collect a $1 premium per person per month that can only be used for abortion services. Lopez says that over the course of 15 years, the fund has accumulated some $25 million, which could be used to provide abortion coverage for uninsured or underinsured individuals. Her bill would create a grant fund with those dollars to do so. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE She noted that Maryland plays a unique role in the post-Dobbs-decision world, as the state is considered a safe haven for those seeking abortions coming from states that have restricted or even banned abortions. 'An unpredictable patchwork of rights and restrictions force our urgent attention,' Lopez said. 'Our work is more important now than ever before.' But some Republican lawmakers and anti-abortion advocates think Maryland should take a cue from states like Texas and restrict abortion access when doctors can hear the 'fetal heartbeat,' which can be as early as six weeks of gestation, according to state analysts. Del. Ric Metzgar (R-Baltimore County) is sponsoring House Bill 108, which would require a physician to listen for a fetal heartbeat before administering an abortion, which would be prohibited if a heartbeat is heard except under certain circumstances. Metzgar was not able to introduce the bill himself, so his chief of staff, Paul Blitz, presented the bill to the committee. Jonathan Alexandre, legislative counsel for the Maryland Family Institute, argued that the heartbeat is the 'indisputable' sign of life. 'So much happens with the engine that is our heart,' he said in support of the bill. 'And it is the scientifically proven, indisputable way for us to know that there are signs of life within that child, within that human. It is the uninterrupted, universal sign of life. The only thing that does interrupt that heartbeat, legally in the state, is an abortionist's scalpel or an abortion pill, meant to stop that child's heartbeat.' The hearing moved swiftly on the restrictive bills, with only a couple advocates speaking in support of each bill. Two Republican-backed bills take issue with the state's lack of reporting abortion data to federal officials, and offered to change that with legislation to require data collection on abortions in the state. House Bill 1357 is sponsored by Del. Teresa E. Reilly (R-Cecil and Harford), who could not make the hearing due to a family conflict. Del. Thomas S. Hutchinson (R-Middle Shore), introduced the bill in her stead, which would require the Department of Health to collect data on the costs of birth, postpartum care, pregnancy care, and abortion in the state. Laura Bogley, executive director for Maryland Right to Life, emphasized that the bill would not restrict anyone's access to an abortion. 'It would advance women's reproductive health care by enabling the state to accurately measure the degree of which public investments in reproductive health care are actually serving the needs of pregnant women and their families,' Bogley said. 'It has no bearings on a woman's access to abortion.' Del. Robin Grammer (R-Baltimore County) introduced House Bill 373, which would have the state report data to the annual Abortion Surveillance report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Maryland is one of only four states that does not participate, along with California, New Hampshire and New Jersey. Sources like the Guttmacher Institute track abortion data in Maryland. According to Guttmacher, more than 30,000 abortions occurred in Maryland in 2020. But those in support of Grammer's legislation say that Maryland should contribute to the federal dataset. Jeffrey S. Trimbath, president of the Maryland Family Institute, argues that data collection is valuable regardless of whether someone is pro-abortion or anti-abortion. 'Regardless of which side of the debate you're on, you should want good data,' Trimbath said. 'How many abortions are taking place in Maryland? Are there certain neighborhoods, economic groups, ethnic groups in which abortions are taking place more than others? 'Are there correlational indicators that inform this practice — such as the number of previous abortions, number of live births, the person's marital status?' he asked. 'All of these are important questions that could inform good policy on either side of this issues.'
