Democratic lawmakers in Delaware approved a bill Tuesday that requires most commercial health insurance plans and the state’s Medicaid program to cover abortions.
The bill passed the Democrat-led Senate on a party-line vote and is now headed to Democratic Gov. John Carney.
In addition to guaranteeing abortion coverage, the legislation prevents most insurance plans, including the one that covers state government employees, from placing copays, deductibles, or other cost-sharing requirements on abortion services.
The law provides an exemption that allows churches and other religious employers to request waivers from the coverage requirement. Coverage would be limited to $750 per person per year, which advocates argue would cover the cost of most abortions in Delaware.
According to legislative analysts based on statistics from the Delaware Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance and a survey of abortion providers, non-surgical abortions account for around 85% of all abortions, with an average cost of around $600.
Analysts predict that the measure will cost Delaware taxpayers approximately $500,000 per year for abortions covered by Medicaid and the state employee health insurance plan.
“Abortion is healthcare, and it is recognized as such here in Delaware,” said Melissa Minor-Brown, the lead bill sponsor and House Majority Leader. “Yet the financial constraints and stigma associated with abortion services act as enormous barriers to actually accessing them.”
Currently, ten states mandate private health insurers to cover abortions, while seventeen states provide abortions for Medicaid recipients.
The insurance mandate is part of a larger drive by Democrats in Delaware to maintain and extend access to abortion.
In recent years, legislatures have legislated abortion access, allowing physician assistants and nurse practitioners to perform abortions.
They’ve also authorized physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to provide abortion pills, as well as legal protections for abortion providers and out-of-state residents seeking abortions in Delaware.
Meanwhile, a Senate bill pending before the House compels Delaware’s colleges and universities with student health centers to provide abortion pills and emergency contraception.
Another Senate bill pending House action compels crisis pregnancy centers to notify the public if they are not regulated as medical facilities and do not employ a registered medical provider.
