California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on a new law that prohibits insurance companies from charging co-pays or deductibles for abortion procedures, a Tuesday news release from his office revealed.
"With this legislation, we'll help ensure equitable, affordable access to abortion services so that out-of-pocket costs don't stand in the way of receiving care," the Democrat governor said in a statement connected to the release.
"In the face of nationwide attacks on reproductive rights, California has taken action to improve access to reproductive care by removing financial barriers to this essential health care," Newsom's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, claimed in another statement.
The Bill, SB-245, is the latest in a string of legislation passed under Newsom's tenure in California that seeks to expand abortion coverage.
In 2019, the governor signed a bill to allow Planned Parenthood access to college campuses, and two years later, increased restrictions on pro-life protesting outside abortion clinics.
"Eliminating out-of-pocket costs for abortion for people with private insurance is a major step in California's commitment to being a Reproductive Freedom state — making abortion services more accessible and affordable for all people in California," Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle.
"SB 245 becoming law means that more Californians will be able to access the care they want, when they want," Hicks reportedly said.
The signing comes after Democrat lawmaker Nancy Skinner proposed a bill last week that would create a state fund for the travel expenses of out-of-state women who seek to receive an abortion in California, Breitbart reported.
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