Biden Order on Abortion Access Called ‘Step In the Right Direction’

Abortion rights advocates on Wednesday applauded an executive action announced by President Joe Biden aimed at helping women in states that have banned and restricted abortions to travel across state lines to receive care, calling the order an “important step” to ensure access is protected.

The action included several orders directed at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), headed by Secretary Xavier Becerra.

With this in mind, Biden directed HHS to:

• Consider using Medicaid waivers to financially help women who cross state lines to get abortions;
• Consider “all appropriate actions to ensure healthcare providers comply with federal nondiscrimination laws” so patients can receive abortion care without delay, including providing “technical assistance for healthcare providers who may be confused or unsure of their obligations in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision”; and
• Evaluate and improve research, data collection, and data analysis efforts at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on maternal health and other health outcomes, in order to measure the impact of the Roe decision and abortion bans and restrictions.

The White House said the order clears the way for Becerra to allow states to apply for Section 1115 Medicaid waivers, which could cover certain costs incurred when people travel for abortion care.

Physicians for Reproductive Health (PRH) said that while it will continue to push for “bold abortion justice” and the declaration of a national public health emergency as the right to terminate a pregnancy is threatened across the country, Biden’s order is a “step in the right direction.”

“The administration has affirmed patients’ right to travel for abortion care,” tweeted the group. “We love this.”

Originally published at Commondreams.org.