Abortion Providers Ask State Court to Strike Medicaid Pay Ban

Pennsylvania Medicaid’s blanket ban on paying for most abortions unlawfully discriminates against poor pregnant women who choose to end their pregnancies, abortion providers told the state’s top court.

The ban violates the Pennsylvania Constitution’s Equal Rights Amendment by excluding payment for procedures sought by women as a function of their sex, Allegheny Reproductive Health Center and other providers told the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

It also violates the Pennsylvania Constitution’s equal protection clause, which is more robust than that of the federal constitution and prohibits singling out sex-specific medical care for coverage exclusions, the providers said in their opening brief on ...