Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest says it is suing over regulations in Alaska that would further define what constitutes a “medically necessary” abortion for purposes of receiving Medicaid funding.
The new regulations are scheduled to take effect Sunday.
Under the regulations, the certificate to request Medicaid funds features two boxes.
With the first, a provider would have to certify the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest or the abortion was performed to save the woman’s life.
With the second, a provider would have to indicate an abortion was medically necessary to avoid a threat of serious risk to the woman’s physical health from continuation of her pregnancy due to “impairment of a major bodily function.” Attached to it is a list of such impairments.
