This is the Maryland I want to see......
Where everyone has access to the healthcare of their choosing!
Healthcare reform has been a priority for UULM-MD since the very beginning. And, we will continue the work begun in 2005 when our liberal religious voices expressed our values, influenced discussions, and achieved results! Working with the Health Care for All Coalition, UUs, and other advocates--we helped expand coverage and reduce the number of uninsured in Maryland, and when Congress passed the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care), we helped with its implementation, expansion, and ease of enrollment. Because of this, more than half of the 400,000 uninsured individuals in Maryland obtained health insurance, and we are working on obtaining coverage for the remaining 6% who are uninsured. Maryland ranks 5th highest in the country for outcomes, cost, and access. More recently, we helped pass the Maryland Health Equity Resource Act to address the poor health outcomes that contribute to racial, ethnic, and geographic health inequities that have been evident throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, Maryland has been a leader in passing legislation to find ways to reduce the costs of prescriptions with the passage of the Prescription Advisory Board.
But, we are not finished!
In 2023, the focus of the UULM-MD Health Care Issue Team will be Reproductive Health Care Rights and we need your help!
This map of the US from the Guttmacher Institute 12/18/2022 shows how Maryland is surrounded by states where abortion is illegal or severely restricted.
So, what to do we do about it? Thankfully, our lawmakers have been taking steps to not only keep abortion legal in our state, but prepare us for a post-Dobbs world. Last year, they passed the Abortion Care Access Act HB 937 to provide funds to increase the number of abortion providers and require insurance companies and medicaid to cover abortions so Marylander's will not have to pay out of pocket for their care.
This year, we will build upon the framework from last year to ensure that all people have access to the healthcare they need for their future.
The Agenda for this session is:
Declaration of Rights to Reproductive Liberty to make sure that Marylanders have constitutional protections at the state level to obtain contraception, to have children in safe and healthy environments, and to choose whether or not to continue with a pregnancy.
Shield Bill to legally protect from prosecution in states that ban abortions those obtaining, any Marylanders who obtain, provide or support abortion care located in Maryland.
Data Privacy Bill to restrict access to sensitive reproductive healthcare information.
Access to Reproductive Healthcare provide a guarantee that state university health centers provide contraception and self-managed abortion.
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