The ACLU of Maine filed a lawsuit this week to ensure that all women, regardless of their income, are able to exercise their constitutional right to choose whether and when to have children. The lawsuit challenges a Maine regulation that denies coverage for abortion for eligible women who use Medicaid services.
We argue that the regulation unfairly interferes with women’s personal decision about whether and when to have a child, by allowing full insurance coverage when a woman continues her pregnancy but denying coverage when a woman decides to have an abortion.
We filed the lawsuit in Cumberland County Superior Court on behalf of Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center, Maine Family Planning, and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England--three health care providers specializing in comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion. Every day, our amazing clients see firsthand the struggles of women who can’t afford the care they need.
For far too long, Maine has discriminated in its MaineCare coverage against poor women who decide abortion is best for them and their families. While abortion may be legal, not all women have equal access to it. We brought this lawsuit because we believe every Maine woman, regardless of her income or what type of insurance she has, should be able to make the decisions that are best for her health and her family.
