A Nevada judge ruled Tuesday that the state must allow Medicaid to cover all abortion procedures, arguing the current restrictions violate women’s rights, according to ABC News.
In Nevada, Medicaid could only cover an abortions if they were due to rape, incest or if they threatened the mother’s life, according to ABC News. Clark County District Judge Erika Ballou announced that she was going to issue a written ruling, ordering the state’s Department of Health and Human Services to remove all restrictions for abortion coverage under Medicaid. (RELATED: Abortions Hit Highest Level In Decade Due To Growing Access To Pill)
“Every person, regardless of their income level or insurance source, deserves the power to make personal medical decisions during pregnancy, including abortion,” Rebecca Chan, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, who brought the suit, said in a statement to ABC.
BREAKING: A court announced it will block Nevada’s ban on Medicaid coverage for abortion, which violates the state’s Equal Rights Amendment.
This is great news, and will help ensure people can access reproductive health care regardless of their income.
— ACLU (@ACLU) March 19, 2024
Ballou claimed that the current restrictions are a violation of equal rights protections, according to ABC. The judge noted that her ruling would likely be appealed by the state’s Attorney General Aaron Ford, who has not released a statement on the ruling.
Other states have made similar moves, including Democratic Gov. Daniel McKee of Rhode Island, who signed a bill in May 2023 requiring abortions to be covered for state officials and for state residents under Medicaid. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in January that a lower court must consider a case that challenges the constitutionality of a law that limits abortion coverage through Medicaid, according to NPR.
Ford’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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