KFF releases report on Hyde Amendments impact in Post-Roe America
Thirty-five percent (5.5 million) of women ages 15 to 49 covered by Medicaid live in states where abortion remains legal
A new paper from KFF details the effects of the Hyde Amendment on women who rely on Medicaid.
The Hyde Amendment and Coverage for Abortion Services Under Medicaid in the Post-Roe Era, by Alina Salganicoff, Laurie Sobel, Ivette Gomez, and Amrutha Ramaswamy, revealed that among the 36 states that do not ban abortion, 19 states and DC follow the Hyde Amendment and 17 states use state funds to pay for abortions for women with low incomes insured by Medicaid beyond the Hyde limitations.
According to the research, 35 percent (5.5 million) of women ages 15 to 49 covered by Medicaid live in states where abortion remains legal. Still, the program will not cover the service except for limited Hyde circumstances. Twenty-one percent live in a state where abortion is banned.
Gomez explained in further detail.
“Abortions can be quite expensive,” Gomez said. I think medium costs are around $500. And it can be very difficult for people who are lower income to afford those costs. Lifting the Hyde Amendment would just eliminate that particular barrier for people who have Medicaid coverage.”
While the federal government doesn’t provide funding for abortions through public insurance, states can use their tax revenues to pay for abortions for women who use Medicaid. Seventeen states do that. Pennsylvania was recently in the news for accepting a case for review that could open the door for that happening there.
One of the other troubling aspects of the Hyde Amendment is the enforcement of the exceptions. They permit abortions in instances of rape and incest or when the health of the mother is at risk. But they require invasive proof to perform abortions in those situations. That can include a police report.
“Very few assaults are reported to law enforcement,” Gomez said. “So you know, they're putting these requirements that are just adding more barriers for people to get coverage for this service.”
Another aspect to think about with Medicaid-receiving abortion-seekers is that they often have to travel from one state to another. So the question then becomes, will their Medicaid cover the abortions in a different state if that one reimburses for abortion coverage?
There is one clinic in Minnesota that borders North Dakota that will bill those residents’ Medicaid programs if the abortion falls under the Hyde Amendment’s exceptions.
“That's the only clinic where we know that is happening,” Gomez said. “But I think other than that, people wouldn't have coverage.”