One day after Kansas voters protected the right to abortion despite being in a conservative state, President Joe Biden signed an executive order with the intent of making it easier for pregnant people to travel between states to seek reproductive care.
According to The Washington Post, the executive order signed Wednesday is the second one Biden has signed on reproductive health since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. It calls on Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to consider inviting states to apply for Medicaid waivers when treating patients who cross state lines for reproductive health services, including abortion. These waivers would allow states where abortion is legal to cover the cost of the procedure under Medicaid for out-of-state residents.
In addition to making it easier and affordable for pregnant individuals to leave states with stricter laws to seek care, the order calls on Becerra to improve research and data on maternal health issues and to consider actions to ensure health care providers comply with federal nondiscrimination laws to ensure people receive medically necessary care.
"Secretary Becerra is going to work with states through Medicaid to allow them to provide reproductive health care for women who live in states where abortions are being banned in that state," Biden said Wednesday.
"The executive order makes sure health care providers comply with federal law so women don't face delays or denials of medically necessary care. And this executive order advances research and data collection to evaluate the impact that this reproductive health crisis is having on maternal health and other health conditions and health outcomes."
The executive order was signed by the president during a virtual appearance at the first meeting of Biden’s newly created Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force. Biden is still in isolation recovering from a "rebound" case of COVID-19.
During the meeting, Cabinet heads also reported on progress they've made on executing a July 8 directive the president issued to preserve abortion access. According to CBS News, that executive order asked the Justice Department to do whatever it could to protect those seeking an abortion, including protecting their right to travel to another state and access approved abortion drugs.
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