Protect Abortion Access in New York

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, more than 20 million people of reproductive age can’t access essential reproductive health care. And the attacks on reproductive rights continue, with medication abortion and other forms of care increasingly under threat.

Even though abortion remains legal and available in New York, many people lack the money necessary to pay for abortion care and to cover the costs of travel, lodging, child care, and other expenses required to obtain that care. I’m counting on you to close the gaps to abortion access.

A critical way to help solve this problem is to ensure abortion providers are adequately reimbursed for the care they provide and that they have the resources to hire and train staff. Lawmakers can start by increasing Medicaid reimbursement for abortion and other reproductive and sexual health care services. Because Medicaid reimbursement rates in New York have been stagnant for a decade and are significantly below the cost of providing care, providers actually lose money every time they provide abortion care. Other access states, like California, Oregon, and Illinois, have increased their rates, and New York must do the same.

There are other steps you can take to ensure that New York’s abortion care infrastructure is both resilient and up to the task at hand. I am grateful the Senate passed the Reproductive Freedom & Equity Fund (A.361-A Gonzalez-Rojas / S.348-B Cleare) in late January. The Assembly must follow suit to create a comprehensive, sustainable state program that will invest in providers, fund abortions, and provide logistical support for anyone who needs financial assistance. One way to do that is to include the bill in the FY2024 budget under consideration now.

The time is now for New York to lead the nation in the face of ever increasing obstacles to reproductive health care and gender justice. You must support initiatives that remove barriers to care and work to make New York an access state for people seeking abortion, including those across the country who are forced to travel here for care.