Pennsylvania Court Rules Medicaid Covers Abortion

0:00On April 21st, Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court just dropped a bombshell ruling, striking down a decades-old law that blocked state Medicaid from, covering abortion costs. In a split decision from a seven-judge panel, they said the state constitution guarantees access to abortion, marking the first time that's been ruled. That way here. This win comes after Planned Parenthood and abortion clinic sued back in 2019, and things heated up big time when the U.S. Supreme Court. Overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Earlier rulings had bounced the case around, but the state Supreme Court cleared the path this year by saying past decisions missed key state, protections against discrimination, reactions poured in fast. Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, hailed it as a step toward equal reproductive care, regardless of income. The Republican Attorney General's Office is reviewing whether to appeal to the state Supreme Court. Abortion opponents slammed it hard, calling a judicial

1:00overreach that forces taxpayers to fund procedures they oppose. The court pushed back on the state's argument about protecting fetal life, saying if Pennsylvania wants to promote caring pregnancies to term, they should fund maternal health instead of cutting off options for low-income women. The majority opinion stressed that blanket bans hit some women who could benefit from the care. Pennsylvania abortion remains legal up to 23 weeks under state law, and this Medicaid shift could expand access while the appeal fight. Looms keeping reproductive rights front and center in the keystone state. That's the story for today. U.S. News Today, driven by AI. I'm Corey with The Story.