Under a measure approved Wednesday in Oregon, insurance companies would be required to cover abortion, at no cost to the woman. The state Senate approved House Bill 3391 in a 17-13 vote along party lines. The bill must be approved by the state’s governor to become law.
Mandating Coverage for Abortion
The law is expected to cost the state $10 million, and allocates $500,000 in funding for abortions. In 2010, Oregon’s unintended pregnancies cost $169.9 million in public funds. So a reduction in unplanned pregnancies could ultimately save the state money.
The law contains some exemptions for religious employers and insurers who don’t currently cover abortion.
Poor women often struggle to pay for abortion. As state laws become more restrictive, financial issues can render abortion inaccessible. Some women end up having later abortions—which are more controversial, more physically taxing, and more expensive—because they need time to save funds for an abortion.
Research has consistently shown that women denied abortions, including those who can’t afford them, have worse pregnancy outcomes. They’re more likely to live in poverty, to remain in abusive relationships, to become depressed, and to abuse their children.
Abortion Law Would Also Protect Maternal and Infant Health
Though anti-abortion groups have already begun protesting the bill. But the bill also contains a number of provisions that would protect maternal, fetal, and infant health.
The bill mandates coverage for contraception, a protection under the Affordable Care Act that Republicans have long sought to eliminate. Research consistently finds that coverage for contraceptives lowers the abortion rate. After the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate became law, unintended pregnancies decreased. With this decrease also came a decline in the abortion rate.
The law also provides coverage for postpartum care, reproductive cancer screenings, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing. State lawmakers have explicitly stated that their goal is to rectify inequities in women’s reproductive health, and to address current gaps in coverage.
Oregon has relatively liberal abortion laws. Abortion clinics in Oregon face fewer restrictions than in many other states. Clinics have, however, faced a number of arson attempts.