Medicaid is a joint program of the state and federal governments that provides health care services to qualified low-income people in the United States. These include children, elderly citizens and people who have disabilities. Recipients of Medicaid benefits must pass certain qualifications, which can vary in different states. Every state oversees the Medicaid program for their respective area, while under the regulation of federal law and guidelines. In some states, both the state and federal government shoulder the finances for the program. Access to abortion services can be especially problematic for women who are dependent upon Medicaid. The Hyde Amendment, enacted in 1976, denies federal Medicaid coverage of abortions except in the cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment.

Abortion was made legal in 1973, and the procedure was available to low-income women since it was covered by Medicaid. Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) proposed a revision to the annual Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations bill in 1979 which stated that federal funds cannot be used for paying for abortions. The Hyde Amendment was made into a law which took away Medicaid assistance for low-income women who will undergo abortion. Part of the amendment also stopped health plans of military personnel, federal employees and women in federal prisons from paying for abortion. The Hyde Amendment was changed in 1981 which again permitted Medicaid to cover abortions that were required when the life of the mother is at stake. The law was made more lenient in 1993 which made Medicaid assisted abortion available to victims of rape and incest. These new changes were refused by a number of states, who were then advised to conform by federal courts.

http://www.medicaidpatients.com/medicaid-and-abortion/