DPHHS Medicaid-abortion rule changes face strong opposition
Twenty-seven opponents spoke out at the hearing, coming from both Montana’s largest cities, like Missoula and Bozeman, but also smaller cities in eastern Montana, like Glendive and Miles City. They provided a variety of arguments, many of which centered on fears that the proposed rules could lead to delays for abortions that harm the patient physically and financially and represents an overregulation on medical care.
“Care-delayed obtaining prior authorization, which is one of the new rule changes, it increases the health risks with medically necessary abortions,” said Dr. Leah Miller, Montana Chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “And is harmful mentally to women. This takes the decision out of the medical providers decision making. These changes would allow the decision of whether an abortion is medically necessary to be determined not by a medical provider, but by a Medicaid review board.”
“This would require a physician, like me, to submit a prior authorization request. Doing that would lead to delays in care. It would mean that more patients wouldn’t be able to get abortions, or they would get them later in their pregnancywhen the financial and logistical burdens on working Montana families would just be even greater than they already are,” said Dr. Sam Dickman, Medical Director of Planned Parenthood Montana.