Texas women will now have to pay an extra insurance premium in order to get a non-emergency abortion. That’s because of House Bill 214, which passed during the legislature’s special session and Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law on Aug. 15.
Supporters of the bill argued that, by paying their insurance premiums, they’re subsidizing other people’s abortions, to which they’re morally opposed. The law makes patients have to pay an extra, add-on premium if they want abortions covered by their insurance.
Opponents argued women can’t always anticipate needing an abortion, and paying a separate premium amounts to “rape insurance.” The law does not include any exceptions for instances of rape, incest, or fetal abnormalities.
The law is the latest in many attempts by Texas lawmakers in recent years to change the regulations surrounding abortion in the state. So, we wondered what could be next in the ongoing battle over abortion law in Texas? What have other states done on this front that Texas might adopt next?
Allison Winnike from the Health Law and Policy Institute at the University of Houston Law Center gives us an overview.