Ohio Right to Life calls for executive order to eliminate all Medicaid funding for abortions

Ohio Right to Life has formally asked Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to issue an executive order to eliminate all Medicaid funding for abortion related activities in Ohio.

The state’s largest pro-baby organization was joined by dozens of pro-life and pro-baby groups in the Bellwether State, jointly arguing that taxpayers should not be directly supporting abortion providers by way of reimbursement for administrative, referral, or other related services.

“We need to be honest about the fact that any tax dollars going to a facility that performs abortion services in some way support that activity,” Ohio Right to Life Executive Director Carrie Snyder said in a release. “It’s time to put a full stop on any taxpayer funding for abortion providers and send that money to organizations that are truly focused on the health and well-being of women and children – born and preborn.”

Under current federal statute, Medicaid is barred from directly paying for abortions except under limited circumstances, such as rape, incest, or risk to the life of the mother. However, Ohio Right to Life is pointing out that abortion clinics still receive Medicaid reimbursements for services related to abortion, such as overhead, referrals, and other administrative tasks.

These reimbursements free up other funds to be used for abortions.

Ohio Right to Life, in a statement, praised DeWine’s recent pro-life record, pointing to his support in the state budget for pregnancy resource centers and fatherhood initiatives. They argue that an executive order to end all Medicaid funding for abortion related activity would reinforce Ohio’s commitment to “cherish life and provide real solutions for families in need.”

The request has been co-signed by many of Ohio’s pro-life organizations, including county Right to Life chapters from Ashtabula, Belmont, Lorain, Miami, and others, as well as groups like Voices 4 Life and Right to Life Northeast Ohio.