The National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) and Baltimore Abortion Fund (BAF) proudly support Maryland’s S.B. 848 and H.B. 930. These bills would create a first-of-its-kind public health abortion grant program. The funding from S.B. 848 and H.B. 930 would support potential grant recipients, like the Baltimore Abortion Fund, helping thousands more people pay for their abortions.
Abortion funds exist because it’s challenging, if not impossible, for many people to get the abortions they need without financial and logistical support. The abortion access gap has become a full-blown crisis, and abortion funds are struggling to meet the demand. With these groundbreaking bills, Maryland can lead the nation by resourcing the support networks so many people and communities rely on for abortions.
All people should have access to the abortions they want and need when they want and need them, regardless of who they are, where they live, whether they are insured, or how much money they earn, and S.B. 848 [and H.B. 930 are] a bold and decisive step toward that reality.”
Poonam Dreyfus-Pai, Interim Executive Director of NNAF
Once these bills become law, the grant program would be funded by existing and unspent premiums for abortion coverage that are already set aside and required to be collected by the Affordable Care Act (which means this bill would use funds already available to states). About $25 million has already accumulated from unspent premiums for abortion coverage in Maryland, and the fund will likely gain around $3 million each year.
The grants will be awarded to abortion funds (like the Baltimore Abortion Fund) and abortion clinics with in-house abortion funds (like Partners in Abortion Care). The funds can also be used to pay for abortion services for people traveling to Maryland for abortions. Maryland is the most southern state with unrestricted abortion, so this legislation is vital for folks from nearby states with abortion bans or restrictions. Plus, the funding can be used whether or not someone has insurance coverage, which is critical for anyone uninsured, underinsured, or endangered if they use their own insurance.
“We cannot emphasize enough how vital it is that abortion clinics and abortion funds, like ours, are adequately resourced. It is often the difference between someone getting the care they need and being forced to remain pregnant. This is why we strongly support H.B. 930 [and S.B. 848].”
-Baltimore Abortion Fund
Maryland has a long history of supporting abortion. Just last year, voters enshrined the right to abortion in their state constitution. This is a huge step toward keeping Maryland supportive for people seeking abortions. Even though many folks in the state still struggle to find care. It’s time for Maryland to make abortion access a reality and not just a right. The state must ensure all people, especially those who are low-income, uninsured, or underinsured, can get the care they need. NNAF and BAF both urge Maryland to make abortion more accessible in the state by voting for S.B. 848 and H.B. 930.