Medicare for All Is a Reproductive Rights Issue
NWL's Jenny Brown wrote an article entitled “Medicare for All Is a Reproductive Rights Issue,” which appeared in Jacobin:
As the new Congress settles in, feminist groups are gearing up for another push to repeal the Hyde Amendment, a rider on congressional appropriations that prohibits federal money from paying for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment. The EACH Woman Act, introduced in previous sessions by California representative Barbara Lee, would restore federal funding of abortions.
Feminists have been pushing for years to repeal the Hyde Amendment. But we should think even bigger: Medicare for All.
Currently, women who rely on Medicaid, as well as veterans, Peace Corps members, those in the military, and those covered by the Indian Health Service have to scramble to come up with $500 for a private-pay abortion. That price tag can triple if their pregnancy progresses to the second trimester. As a result, many are forced to bear children against their will. Repealing the Hyde Amendment would remove an enormous roadblock to abortion access for low-waged and unemployed women.
But feminists should be thinking bigger. Medicaid is a means-tested program that excludes many who need it. Winning full reproductive rights will require winning Medicare for All.