The Trump Administration announced last week that Maine is going to be one of 13 states investigated over their abortion laws.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Office for Civil Rights, the federal government is looking into whether the states in question are violating the 2005 Weldon Amendment, which prohibits discrimination against health care entities that do not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.
“OCR launches these investigations to address certain states’ alleged disregard of, or confusion about, compliance with the Weldon Amendment,” said Paula M. Stannard, Director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights, in a statement this past Thursday.
“Under the Weldon Amendment, health care entities, such as health insurance issuers and health plans, are protected from state discrimination for not paying for, or providing coverage of, abortion contrary to conscience,” Stannard said. “Period.”
Click Here to Read the Full Press Release
Gov. Janet Mills (D) has pushed back on the agency’s effort to investigate the state, reemphasizing her support for ensuring abortion access.
“Donald Trump, empowered by Republicans in Washington, is pulling every lever of the Federal government to hurt women and undermine our fundamental rights, but let me be clear: Maine will not be intimidated nor will we back down from defending reproductive freedoms,” Gov. Mills said.
“This so-called ‘compliance review’ is nothing more than a facade aimed at restricting abortion access,” said Mills. “I have fought tooth and nail to defend and expand reproductive rights in Maine, and I will stand in the way of this latest attack.”
Click Here to Read Gov. Mills’ Full Statement
Since 2019, Maine law has required that state-regulated health insurance plans offering maternity services include coverage for abortions.
Although the law includes exemptions for religious employers for whom this would conflict with their beliefs, Bob Carey, superintendent of the Maine Bureau of Insurance, told the Portland Press Herald that his office has not yet received any requests for an exemption.
Other states being investigated by the DHHS Civil Rights Office include California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. All of these states are led by Democratic governors, except for Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont.
