Reproductive health, maternal, and community health advocates urged Pennsylvania lawmakers to protect women’s health care access amid rising threats at the federal level. Speakers at a Capitol rally praised Pennsylvania as a safe place for reproductive rights, especially as other states impose abortion bans. They highlighted Pennsylvania’s expansion of health insurance for expectant mothers despite federal cutbacks.
Roxanne McNellis from The Women’s Centers, a group of independent abortion providers, said Pennsylvania has a chance to be a state where people are safe and supported in making decisions about their bodies. She emphasized that communities demand this protection and will push so the issue cannot be ignored.
Legislators from the Women’s Health Caucus and Black Maternal Health Caucus pledged to intensify efforts to protect women’s rights to choose when to have children and ensure health and safety in pregnancy. House Speaker Joanna McClinton stressed the urgency, saying decisions soon will affect healthcare access for future generations of women.
The Black Maternal Health Caucus, formed in 2023, focuses on combating high maternal mortality among women of color. A state report found Black women died from pregnancy-related causes at more than twice the rate of white women in 2021, with 129 deaths overall during pregnancy or shortly after.
Last year, legislation passed to cover Medicaid costs for doulas and support women with postpartum depression. This year, bills aim to require Medicaid and private insurers to cover blood pressure monitors for pregnant women to prevent hypertension risks. The caucus also plans to push for guaranteed access to in-vitro fertilization regardless of income or insurance.
One bill would criminalize interference with reproductive healthcare clinic staff or clients. Another seeks to amend Pennsylvania’s constitution to explicitly protect abortion access and other reproductive freedoms, responding to the 2022 Supreme Court decision that allowed states to ban abortion.
Representative Mary Jo Daley stated the mission is about ensuring no one is denied medical care due to fear or force. Advocates are also fighting in court against a Medicaid abortion coverage ban found discriminatory by the state Supreme Court. The current legal battle focuses on whether Medicaid funding restrictions violate the state’s Equal Rights Amendment.
Attorney General Dave Sunday argues the state’s interest in protecting life and conscience rights outweighs a constitutional right to abortion. Advocates say the mission to defend state laws and constitutional protections on reproductive rights has never been more urgent.
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