How federal laws set the baseline for women’s health, safety, and access
Federal laws play a powerful role in shaping women’s rights in the United States. Even when enforcement and impact
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In 2024, Maryland enacted a new grant program to expand abortion access and strengthen provider capacity across the state. The program directs state funds toward staffing, training, and service expansion, and is approved through 2026.
This policy illustrates the difference between legal permission and functional access. Maryland’s grant program demonstrates how states with robust protections are adapting to shifting regional conditions and investing proactively to sustain reproductive care delivery.
Why it Matters
Abortion access depends on more than legality. Provider availability, workforce shortages, insurance coverage, and geography all impact whether people can access care when they need it.
The grant program recognizes that maintaining reproductive rights requires ongoing investment—not just favorable laws—and that access must be actively supported over time.
Background
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, states with strong abortion protections increasingly became destinations for patients traveling from more restrictive states. But in Maryland, concerns about access went beyond post-Dobbs demand.
State officials and advocates had already identified gaps in reproductive healthcare across the state, including provider shortages in some regions, insurance-related barriers, and limited access to reproductive and contraceptive services in certain communities.
Maryland leaders began outlining a broader strategy to strengthen reproductive healthcare access by pairing legal protections with investments in delivery systems. That approach focused on expanding provider capacity, supporting the healthcare workforce, and reducing structural barriers to care.
In February of 2024, the Maryland General Assembly approved legislation creating a state-funded abortion access grant program, financed through Affordable Care Act insurance plan surcharge revenues. The program is designed to help providers expand services and stabilize care delivery, reinforcing access alongside the state’s voter-approved constitutional protection for reproductive freedom.
Resources
Urban Institute - Reproductive Health Experiences and Access (RHEA) Study
The Network for Public Health Law - Maryland’s Approach to Enhancing Access to Abortion: Expanding Scope of Practice
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