Statement on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

_ Statement on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization - June 24, 2022 Health care includes abortion care, and all people must be able to make personal medical decisions that affect their lives and futures. In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court has overturned a fundamental constitutional right that is essential to reproductive, economic, and racial justice. As half of U.S. states are now expected to significantly restrict access to abortion care, the decision will harm millions of people. Its impact will fall hardest on those who already face discriminatory obstacles to accessing health care, including people of color, disabled people, those with limited English proficiency, and poor people. The right to decide whether, when, and with whom to have a child is essential to autonomy and reproductive freedom, and the inability to access abortion care can have severe physical and mental health consequences. The decision also represents an attack on liberty and personal privacy that threatens other important rights, including access to birth control, marriage equality, and LGBTQ rights. The Center for Medicare Advocacy supports forging a path forward to ensure access to the full range of quality necessary health care for all people. This includes advancing state and federal protections for women and their medical providers. Congress should also eliminate the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding for abortion care and thus affects Medicare beneficiaries of child-bearing age (people under 65 with disabilities) as well as those who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. The Center for Medicare Advocacy will continue to advocate for a future where everyone has access to essential reproductive health care, no matter who they are or where they live.  The Center for Medicare Advocacy (http://www.medicareadvocacy.org) is a national, non-profit, law organization that works to advance access to comprehensive Medicare coverage, health equity, and quality health care for older people and people with disabilities. Founded in 1986, the Center focuses on the needs of people with longer-term and chronic conditions. The organization’s work includes legal assistance, advocacy, education, analysis, policy initiatives, and litigation of importance to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide. Our systemic advocacy is based on the experiences of the real people who contact the Center every day. Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc. • www.MedicareAdvocacy.org • PO Box 350, Willimantic, CT 06226