Pennsylvania appeals court overturns ban on Medicaid - funded abortions

A Pennsylvania appeals court on Monday struck down a law prohibiting state Medicaid dollars from covering elective abortions, intensifying the conflict over abortion access in the commonwealth. In a 4-3 ruling, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, one of the state’s appeals courts, recognized a fundamental right to “reproductive autonomy” in a long-awaited case on whether the state-funded health insurance program for low-income residents could cover abortions outside of emergency circumstances. Recommended Stories Judge Matthew Wolf wrote for the majority, cementing that recognizing a fundamental right to abortion is necessary to prevent government “attempts to coerce reproductive choice.” “Those choices are the People’s, not the government’s,” Wolf wrote. Three of the four judges, including Wolf, who voted to strike down the law, were elected to the court as Democrats.