In less than a week, Colorado voters will make their voices heard on abortion rights at the ballot box, along with millions of voters in the 10 states with abortion ballot measures. Colorado’s ballot measure may come as a surprise: the state has long been seen as a so-called “safe haven” for abortion care, especially in the years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. But, while abortion is legal, it isn’t protected in Colorado’s state constitution. And there’s another fact that too often flies under the radar–nearly 1 million Coloradans can’t get abortion covered by their health insurance due to a state health insurance coverage ban that has been in place since 1984.
Colorado isn’t the only state to limit Medicaid coverage of abortion. In fact, the longest-standing abortion coverage ban is a federal policy called the Hyde Amendment. This year marks 48 years since it was first enacted by anti-abortion politicians, who have used it to deny people enrolled in Medicaid from accessing abortion care, as well as federal employees and Native and Indigenous people, among others.
Women of color have always been at the forefront of the fight to repeal Hyde. At All* Above All and Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), we’ve seen the impact of this oppressive policy first-hand—and we’re leading the movement to end it.
Insurance coverage bans like Hyde do unthinkable damage to our communities. Hyde disproportionately affects those who are working to make ends meet, people of color, young people, immigrants, or those who live in rural communities. When policymakers place restrictions on Medicaid coverage of abortion, they force 1 in 4 women to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. For someone living paycheck-to-paycheck, denying them coverage for an abortion can push them deeper into poverty.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe, anti-abortion politicians have banned abortion in 22 states, making this already dire situation worse. The impact falls hardest on those already working to make ends meet, especially in Black and Latine communities. Today, more than half of Black women (57%) and nearly half of Latina women (43%) ages 15-49 live in states that have banned or are likely to ban abortion.
As leaders in the movement to repeal Hyde and as lifelong advocates for abortion justice, we are done compromising and settling for crumbs from some politicians and the courts. Each of us, including Black, Latine, AAPI, Indigenous, and other people of color, should have the freedom to control our bodies, lives, and futures. Public opinion is on our side: six in 10 Americans support lifting the Hyde Amendment, and in Colorado, 62% percent of Latinos support state Medicaid coverage of abortion.
Ending abortion coverage bans like Hyde and Colorado’s state restriction is more urgent now than ever. Our bodies and our fundamental freedoms are on the line, as anti-abortion extremists have made it clear in no uncertain terms that they’ll stop at nothing to deny us the ability to control our futures. Now is the time to commit to a bold vision and ensure that abortion care is accessible for everyone who needs it. From Colorado to Congress, women of color are leading the fight to dismantle Hyde for good, and thanks to their leadership, we’re closer than ever.
Election day is less than a week away and we urgently need policies that center those who are most marginalized by our systems and by anti-abortion politicians. That’s why we need abortion justice: care that is available, affordable, and supported for anyone who needs it.
Abortion justice is on the ballot in Colorado, and it’s driving our movement nationwide to repeal Hyde and abortion coverage bans. We must end Hyde now to ensure abortion justice for all our futures.
Nourbese Flint is the President of All* Above All, a catalyst for abortion justice that advocates for policies that ensure abortion is affordable, available, and accessible.
Dusti Gurule is the President and CEO of Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), a community-rooted organization that works to enable Latine individuals and their families to lead safe, healthy, and self-determined lives.
