Bill to Expand Abortion Access Passes

A bill to expand access to care for survivors of sexual violence passed through the Colorado General Assembly. Currently, only one location in the entire state provides covered abortion care for survivors of sexual violence who use Medicaid. However, Senate Bill 21-142 would expand access to licensed providers in local communities throughout the state, providing survivors access to care closer to home.

“Access to care should never depend on where you live, how much money you make, or what type of insurance you have,” says Dr. Kristina Tocce, vice president and medical director for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

“Excluding survivors of sexual violence who rely on Medicaid from accessing abortion care from the same licensed providers as people using private insurance creates a dangerous, medically unnecessary barrier to care for patients with low incomes. This especially harms communities of color who are more likely to be insured through Medicaid due to generations of systemic discrimination. Expanding access to care for survivors who use Medicaid is one important step toward making healthcare access more equitable in our state.”

The existing barrier to care forces survivors in rural communities to drive extensive distances to end a pregnancy resulting from sexual violence. This disproportionately affects survivors of color, survivors with low incomes, rural survivors, and survivors who do not speak English as their first language.

Per the Colorado state constitution, patients using Medicaid are only able to access covered abortion care if they are victims of sexual assault, incest, or their life is endangered. Medicaid-covered abortion care must be performed in a specific facility by a physician. There is only one provider in the entire state that meets this criterion, and it is located in the Denver-metro area.

Medicaid patients who are survivors of sexual violence have no options for covered abortion care outside the Denver metro area, forcing many to travel for hours to access care. This creates an added burden on survivors of sexual violence. Senate Bill 21-142, which has more than 40 Democratic sponsors, highlights the need for more ease of access to care.

“According to the most recently available Federal Bureau of Investigation data, Colorado’s reported sexual assault rate ranked third highest in the nation,” the bill’s introduction reads. The latest amended version of SB 21-142 concludes with the following:

“Every person has a right to privacy with respect to personal health decisions, free from coercion or interference from the government. Healthcare must be accessible and affordable, and no person should be required to leave the person’s community to access the care that the person needs.”