Texas abortion funds launch Rosie’s Law campaign urging the Texas Legislature to restore insurance coverage for abortion 

AUSTIN, TX — Texas abortion funds released new polling today that shows the majority of Texas voters support lifting the ban on Medicaid coverage of abortion. 

Findings from the poll show include: 

• 63% of Texas voters support Medicaid coverage of pregnancy-related health care, including abortion.
  • An overwhelming majority (78%) of young voters support Medicaid coverage of abortion.
• 81% believe the amount of money someone has should not determine whether their health insurance covers certain procedures, including abortion.
• 84% of Texas voters across the political spectrum, including 75% of Republicans, agree that anti-abortion politicians shouldn’t be able to deny people coverage for abortion care just because they are working to make ends meet.
• A majority of Texas voters (56%) report they would feel more favorable towards their representative if they supported Medicaid coverage of abortion. 

Building on this tremendous support and momentum, Texas abortion funds are launching the campaign to pass Rosie’s Law, a measure to expand health insurance coverage of abortion for Texans enrolled in Medicaid and private insurance plans. The Rosie’s Law campaign kicks off with a petition for Texans to pledge their support for insurance coverage of abortion in Texas. Through the Rosie’s Law Campaign, Texas abortion funds will work to ensure legislators have the facts around both insurance coverage of abortion and Texans’ support for Medicaid coverage of abortion.

“Helping Texans get the abortion care they need is what we do every day,” said Amanda Beatriz Williams, executive director of the Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity. “We see firsthand the barriers that keep people from accessing health care and thriving. With the backing of the majority of Texans who support insurance coverage for abortion care, we’re launching Rosie’s Law to ensure that Texans can get the care they need, no matter how much money they have.” 

For more than 40 years, the Hyde Amendment, a cruel policy that restricts abortion coverage for people enrolled in Medicaid and other federal health programs, has fallen hardest upon people working to make ends meet, especially women of color. Rosie’s Law is named for Rosaura “Rosie” Jimenez, a 27-year-old single mother from McAllen, Texas who died trying to access abortion care because Medicaid would not cover her procedure. Rosie Jimenez was the first known victim of the Hyde Amendment. 

“Rosie was one of us,” said Nancy Cárdenas Peña, board member of the Frontera Fund. “Today we honor her life and commit to ensuring that Texans seeking abortion care, from the Rio Grande Valley to the Panhandle, can get the care they need without barriers, shame, or stigma.” 

“Across the state, Texans agree that health care access should never be restricted by politicians, no matter how much someone makes,” said Kamyon Conner, executive director of the Texas Equal Access Fund. “It’s long past time to lift the cruel and racist policies in our state that block access to health care. With Rosie’s Law, we’re doing just that.”

“Texans, like the majority of Americans, are united in their support of Medicaid coverage for abortion,” said Ravina Daphtary, co-director of abortion coverage campaign at All* Above All. “At a time when the pandemic has exposed the gaps in our health care system, the Rosie’s Law campaign is a bold step towards lifting barriers to health care and ensuring that Texans can get affordable abortion care when they need it.”

The polling was conducted by Hart Research Associates through an online survey among 1,001 registered voters in Texas. The interviews were conducted from August 14 to August 21, 2020. The sample is demographically and geographically representative of the Texas electorate and is consistent with the political dispositions of voters across Texas. The credibility interval for the statewide sample is ±3.1 percentage points.