By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has announced that health care providers, seekers, and helpers in Washington now have a new avenue to obtain pro bono legal assistance to facilitate abortion access. This is being made possible through the launch of a website called abortiondefensenetwork.org, which is managed by the Lawyering Project.
According to Ferguson, Washingtonians seeking help through the website will be connected with attorneys involved in a nationwide pro bono network. This includes several Washington law firms that have been recruited by the Attorney General’s office, and will provide free legal guidance and resources.
In addition, Ferguson has put together a “know your rights” brochure and a specific form for Washingtonians to file complaints about their reproductive rights. The brochure is a two-page guide to Washington state law’s protections for abortion and contraception access.
“Radical laws in other states are creating chaos for providers, out-of-state patients, and individuals assisting their friends and family to access health care,” Ferguson said. “The changing legal landscape is causing providers and others to question whether they face legal jeopardy by helping someone come to Washington for legal abortion care. This resource will help them navigate these important issues and protect their freedoms.”
Under Washington law, access for pregnant people from other states allows them to come into the state for reproductive services. The state is working to ensure that laws criminalizing the delivery of health care in other states do not affect Washington health care providers.
Insurance coverage for abortion care is required by all state-regulated health plans that cover pregnancy or maternity services. They are legally obligated to also cover abortion services, including medical and medication. Washington’s health insurance program, Apple Health (Medicaid), will cover abortion care for patients who qualify. If you are uninsured, the state has programs that may be able to help you pay for an abortion.
“Every pregnant person in Washington has the fundamental right to have an abortion for any reason prior to the viability of the fetus. After viability, abortion is permitted in Washington if the abortion is necessary to protect the pregnant person’s life or health. In Washington, people of any age have the right to consent to their own abortion care. Washington does not require consent from a person’s parent, guardian, or partner to have an abortion,” states the Attorney General’s ‘Know Your Rights’ brochure.
Women have protected rights to safely access abortion and contraception, and Washington law has special protections for birth control and emergency contraception. In regard to women having protected rights to safely access abortion and contraception, Washington law prohibits anyone from interfering with or obstructing their access to health care facilities.
Special protections for birth control and emergency contraception include that all hospitals with emergency rooms must provide emergency contraception as a treatment for sexual assault. Washington pharmacies must fill all valid prescriptions, especially for medication abortion, emergency contraception, and birth control, unless there is a medically proven reason not to, or simply because the pharmacy does not have it and cannot get it quickly.
Washington’s affirmative action, led by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, stems from the U.S Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center, overturning Roe v. Wade. This is a nearly five-decade-old opinion that recognized abortion as a constitutional right. Although some states continue to honor and protect abortion rights, others have authorized restrictive and punitive anti-abortion laws. This has raised unprecedented legal questions not only for healthcare providers but also for those who seek reproductive healthcare services. Anti-abortion actions being taken into account in some states have caused confusion, uncertainty, and misinformation regarding access to abortion care. In Washington, where the right to choose and provided healthcare is protected, the state is working to ensure that people have access to these services.
Despite other states disagreeing with these services, Washington has done a great job of helping those who live in those specific regions. In a court hearing United States of America v. The State of Idaho, on August 16, 2022, made note that clinics in Eastern Washington have seen a massive influx of patients from Idaho due to the fact they severely restricted abortion access after the Dobbs v. Jackson decision. 62% of patients at Planned Parenthood’s Pullman clinic were from Idaho last June, and the following increased to 78% which doubled the rate from the previous year, and thankful for Idaho residents Pullman’s clinic is just 10 miles from their border.
Boise, another city in Idaho, closed its clinic which forced patients to travel to Kennewick and Walla Walla clinics for healthcare services, more than four hours away from Boise.
The website https://abortiondefensenetwork.org/, will not only provide resources and outlets to Washingtonians but those who are coming from other states as well, helping women in need to get the right information and talk to the right people as well.
