The Moore administration announced more than $15 million in grants and budget proposals aimed at improving access to reproductive health care and abortion across Maryland, according to a Monday news release from the governor's office.
The funding announcement comes in an election year in which voters will have the opportunity to vote on an amendment to the state constitution enshrining Marylanders' right to terminate or continue a pregnancy on the November ballot. Issues are decided by majority vote.
Meanwhile, starting in March, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that could curtail the use of mifepristone, part of a two-drug therapy used for both medication abortion and miscarriage treatment. It is planned.
Gov. Wes Moore (D), along with nearly 20 other Democratic governors, signed a brief to the justices asking the Supreme Court to uphold access to medical abortion pills.
The abortion-focused funding announcement continues the Governor's efforts to ensure access to abortion in Maryland.
“Access to reproductive health care is a fundamental right,” Moore said in a written statement Monday. “Today, we take another big step to protect the health, well-being, and rights of Marylanders, and we will continue to work together to ensure Maryland remains a safe haven for reproductive health care. ”
The administration highlighted two funding initiatives to expand Maryland's reproductive health programs.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) has been awarded a $10.6 million grant to run the state's abortion care clinical training program.
The program was established through the Abortion Care Access Act in 2022, but lawmakers managed to enact it without approval from then-Gov. Larry Hogan (R) Hogan withheld millions of dollars in state funds, including $3.5 million for programs such as training for abortion care providers. On his first day as governor in 2023, Moore released his withheld funding and allowed the Abortion Care Access Act to continue.
UMB was selected after a competitive application process and funding is available through 2026, according to the Maryland State Department of Health.
As a grantee, UMB will be responsible for expanding the number of health care workers trained in abortion care and increasing the ethnic diversity of health care providers with experience in abortion care.
In a written statement, the Maryland Department of Health said UMB “first conducted a statewide needs assessment to understand disparities in access to abortion care in Maryland and worked with partners to develop a robust statewide Developing and coordinating training systems and operating hospital-based training.” Supports clinical sites and distributes program funds to participating organizations. ”
Participating organizations include the Family Planning Association of Maryland, which operates community-based clinics, and the National Abortion Federation, which provides technical assistance in developing a statewide training system.
“Our training will target the critical public health issue of abortion care training and access to abortion care in our state,” Jessica Lee, an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said in a written statement. .
“We are dedicated to training clinicians in Maryland’s underserved and rural areas to help reduce health care disparities and bring reproductive health care services to those who need them. ,” Lee said.
In addition, the Moore Administration announced a $5 million budget for next year's Maryland Medicaid Family Planning Program and Reproductive Health Program. Funding would require House and Senate approval during the 2024 legislative session.
The money will be distributed through grants to abortion clinic providers to “fund non-service expenditures, such as electronic health record updates and infrastructure enhancements,” according to a press release.
The additional funding will also be used to increase reimbursement rates for providers of medical abortions and abortion procedures covered by Medicaid, according to an email from the Maryland Department of Health.
