Montana judge blocks abortion restrictions from taking effect while lawsuits continue
Plaintiffs, including Planned Parenthood and independent clinics Blue Mountain Clinic and All Families Healthcare, later expanded their complaint to include two bills recently signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte. House Bill 544 would codify the DPHHS rule into law, while House Bill 862 would go further and block using state funding for abortion except in cases of rape, incest and when the woman’s life is in danger – bringing the state in line with the federal policy called the Hyde Amendment.
The plaintiffs argued these changes would all be improper barriers to abortion access for lower-income Montanans. Dr. Samuel Dickman, Planned Parenthood of Montana’s chief medical officer, estimated about 45% of their abortion patients are on Medicaid. Helen Weems, an advanced practice registered nurse who operates All Families Healthcare and filed the case that led to the recent Supreme Court ruling, said more than half of her abortion care was for people with Medicaid. She said her clinic might have to close if the additional limits on Medicaid abortion coverage go forward.
“Even before the Armstrong decision in Montana, our courts said that you can’t discriminate against people because they’re lower-income and deny them access to health care – and that includes abortion care,” Graybill said.