Today, four bills that expand and protect access to abortion go into effect in Maine. While 21 states have enacted bans or restrictions since the US Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, Maine is among 20 that have expanded access.
One bill removes restrictions on abortions by allowing them after viability — generally considered 24 weeks — with approval by a physician. The law was prompted by the experience of a Maine woman who had to travel out of state for an abortion after discovering a rare fetal anomaly later in pregnancy.
Dr. Julia McDonald, who practices in central Maine, says the new law ensures patients can get care close to home in the rare event that an abortion later in pregnancy is needed.
"Nearly 70% are before nine weeks of pregnancy. So these bills are not going to increase the number of abortions later in in pregnancy," McDonald says. "It's not going to increase the number of abortions in Maine."
The same law also includes privacy protections for abortion data and decriminalizes the procedure.
"Maine's previous law attached the criminal code to abortion and no other medical procedure," McDonald says. "So this just brings the law in line with any other medical procedure."
Another law shields Maine providers from other state laws that restrict abortions. And the state now also bars municipalities from enacting ordinances that regulate abortions and requires that abortion care is preserved if a health facility comes under new ownership.
A law that will take effect in January eliminates out-of-pocket costs for patients with private insurance who seek abortions.
