On February 12, 2024, Governor Wes Moore announced investments to enhance abortion care access throughout Maryland. The initiatives include a $5 million allocation from the Moore-Miller Administration for FY 2025 to boost Medicaid provider reimbursements for abortion care and reproductive services, alongside a $10.6 million grant from the Maryland Department of Health to the University of Maryland, Baltimore. This grant will support the Maryland Abortion Care Clinical Training Program.
Governor Moore emphasized the importance of reproductive health care as a fundamental right, committing to the protection and well-being of Maryland residents and the continuation of efforts to maintain Maryland as a sanctuary for reproductive care.
The $5 million investment is aimed at supporting the Maryland Medicaid Family Planning and Reproductive Health Program, enhancing patient access, and strengthening abortion clinic infrastructures, including IT and staffing. The Maryland Department of Health’s review of national Medicaid abortion rates informed the decision to increase reimbursement rates for Maryland clinics.
Dr. Laura Herrera Scott, Maryland Department of Health Secretary, highlighted the impact of this funding on reproductive rights, noting the comprehensive training programs and additional support for Medicaid providers as crucial steps towards maintaining safe and accessible abortion care in Maryland.
The grant to the University of Maryland, Baltimore, will be used to expand healthcare professionals’ training in abortion care, increase diversity among those professionals, and identify clinical sites for training, with funds distributed to organizations such as Planned Parenthood of Maryland and the National Abortion Federation to support the training system’s development.
Associate Professor Jessica Lee, MD, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and co-principal investigator of the training program, pointed out the public health challenge of abortion care training and access in Maryland, emphasizing the program’s focus on training clinicians in underserved and rural areas.
Karen J. Nelson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Maryland, and Melissa Fowler, Chief Program Officer of the National Abortion Federation, both expressed their organizations’ pride and support for the Abortion Care Access Act and the clinical training program, highlighting the importance of equitable access to abortion care across the state.
The Abortion Care Clinical Training Program, funded by the 2022 Abortion Care Access Act, aims to ensure high-quality, safe abortion care in Maryland by providing clinical training for abortion care providers and their teams.
