Statement From NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts on the Trump Administration’s New Rule to Restrict Abortion Access

“In what has become an all too common occurrence, the Trump Administration has again callously interfered with the healthcare of millions of people across the country by implementing a new rule designed to restrict insurance coverage of abortion. The goal of this rule is not only to discourage insurance coverage of abortion care but, also, to create financial barriers to prevent people from seeking abortion care.

The new rule mandates that insurers in the ACA marketplace send two separate bills for health care premiums—one for abortion coverage and another for all other health care coverage. This rule will increase administrative costs on insurers and result in many insurers moving away from covering abortion care, thereby robbing millions of people across the country of insurance coverage for abortion care. Issuing two separate bills serves only to confuse patients, creating a situation where they risk losing their coverage as a result of not paying both bills in full.

While we are still determining exactly how this rule impacts Massachusetts, it is clear that the rule poses a threat to Bay Staters who receive insurance benefits through the ACA marketplace and creates daunting financial barriers to accessing safe, legal abortion.

This is the latest action in a long campaign from the Trump/Pence Administration to attack reproductive health care and make it harder for people to access abortion care.”

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