Nick: Across the country, states
are struggling to determine
whether and how to provide the
most vulnerable access to
abortion.
One of every five American women
between the ages of 15 and 49 is
covered by medicaid.
For decades, congressional
regulations have prohibited
federal funds from being used
for abortions, except in the
cases of rape, incest and if the
pregnancy threatens the woman's
life.
But medicaid is a federal and
state program allowing 16 states
to pay for abortions outside
federal restrictions.
How are states approaching this
challenge now?
To discuss this, I'm joined by
Alina salganicoff, a senior vice
president at the Kaiser family
foundation, and Marsha Jones of
the afiya center, a reproductive
justice organization in Texas.
Welcome, both of you to "Pbs
news weekend."
Alina, let me start with you.
Are states today that protect
abortion rights adjusting their
medicaid policies to help women
seeking abortion?
Alina: They're trying to do what
they can to protect abortion
access, in terms of protecting
clinicians and women from
criminality in other states, as
well as providing funds.
Also supporting infrastructure
so that abortion clinics have
the necessary means to provide
abortions, not only for the
women who reside in those
states, but from people who will
be coming from other states as
well.
Nick: Marsha Jones, who is
bearing the brunt of this
problem when it comes to
abortion access and medicaid?
Marsha: Poor women are bearing
the brunt of this.
Specifically, poor nonwhite
So poor black women, poor
hispanic women, poor indigenous
women are bearing the brunt.
So the folk who have the least
access are the folk who are
bearing the brunt of this.
Nick: Alina, I think it is
important that you explain one
thing, which is can a woman
travel across state borders
using medicaid in order to get
an abortion in a state that
still has abortion rights?
Alina: Typically, medicaid only
pays for services that are
provided in the state.
So there are cases where
medicaid can pay for care out of
state.
But that's very unusual.
And the out of state provider
has to have a relationship with
medicaid.
I will say that all of the women
that will be with medicaid who
will be needing to travel out of
state, it is very unlikely that
their medicaid program will pay
for their abortions, even in
cases of rape or incest.
Nick: And so, Marsha Jones,
given that restriction, given
the people who you said you've
been trying to help, what are
you hearing from the women who
are reaching out to you?
Marsha: So we're hearing women
who are without resources, who
are without a plan, who are
without a next step.
They literally don't know what
to do.
Even when you're hearing
conversations that say the
abortion pill will be available,
self-managed abortions, not if
you're already 14 weeks
gestation.
You know, not if you're already
late in gestation.
That sounds good, but it's not
going to be available for the
women that we serve.
And we are talking about taxes,
no exception.
Nick: On Friday, president Biden
issued an executive order aimed
at protecting access to
reproductive health services.
Will it have any impact on this
discussion that we're having
right now?
Alina: I think the president
wanted to make clear that he was
putting the full force of the
federal government to the extent
possible to assure that people
have access to the full range of
reproductive health services.
The issue is that the supreme
court has turned this back to
the states.
So while the federal government,
I think can do some things, and
the president has directed the
secretary and the department of
justice to try to put
protections in place, it will be
limited because you are going to
have states that have full on
bans.
It is going to be really
impossible for a lot of women to
cross the state, go across the
state and long distances to get
abortions, regardless of what
the federal government does.
Nick: In terms of this question
of medicaid and access, what do
you say to those people who are
against federally guaranteed
abortion rights?
Alina: Well, the supreme court
has had a longstanding precedent
that established the right to
abortion.
This decision is the first one
that's taken away any
constitutional right.
So regardless of where you
stand, this decision will have
seismic repercussions that
affect abortion access most
directly, but also will have
implications for a broad range
of services that are important
to women, ranging from emergency
care to cancer care, care for
autoimmune diseases.
I think the ripple effects are
just emerging, and so this is
going to affect you regardless
of where you stand on the
abortion debate.
Nick: And finally, Marsha Jones,
I wonder if you could explain
what would happen to you if you
were to help a woman in Texas
cross the state line to get an
abortion?
Marsha: If I help someone across
the state line, because it is
aiding and abetting, it is very
clear.
Aiding and abetting, giving
people money, helping them to
cross state lines.
And we're even limited to the
information that we can give
because we are trying to provide
people with a basic health care
need, because reproductive
health care is health care could
literally be criminalized.
Nick: Marsha Jones, Alina
salganicoff, thank you very much
to you both.
Marsha: Thank you.