JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – In a significant development for Pro-Life efforts in the Show-ME State, the Missouri House this week passed legislation aimed at preventing abortion clinics from receiving Medicaid reimbursements.
HB 2634, sponsored by Representative Cody Smith, seeks to make it illegal for public funds, including Medicaid reimbursements, to support abortion facilities or their affiliates. It grants taxpayers and the Attorney General the right to take legal action to enforce these provisions.
“House Bill 2634 would seek to simply codify that in statute and say that we are not going to allow abortion providers or their affiliates to be reimbursed through our state’s Medicaid program,” Smith, R-Carthage, told his colleagues in the House. “I’m proud to champion legislation that ensures taxpayer dollars do not support abortion facilities. This vote is a vote for life.”
The bill also amends an existing statute, requiring MO HealthNet participants to obtain services only from qualified providers and empowering the Department of Social Services to revoke contracts with providers found unqualified due to specific offenses, such as intentional discrimination or support for eugenics. Additionally, the bill prohibits reimbursement to abortion facilities under the “Uninsured Women’s Health Program”.
“The passage of HB 2634 marks a significant victory for Pro-Life efforts in Missouri. Taxpayer funds will not be paid to abortionists,” House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, said. “This legislation underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of the most vulnerable members of our society.”
This move aligns with the long-enduring efforts of the state’s majority party to limit abortion providers’ access to Medicaid funds. Since 2022, the Missouri legislature through the budgetary process has voted to not provide funds to abortion clinics. This unfolds against the backdrop of Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s announcement of a lawsuit seeking an injunction against Planned Parenthood Great Plains from trafficking minors out of state to obtain abortions without parental consent.
Rep. Cody Smith, a Republican, represents part of Jasper County (District 163) in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was elected to his first two-year term in November 2016 and re-elected in 2018. For more information, please contact Rep. Smith’s office at 573-751-5458 or via email at Cody.Smith@House.Mo.Gov.