Women’s Health

Do Marketplace plans or Medicaid cover abortions?

Ver en Español

It depends on where you live and what type of coverage type you have. For Marketplace plans, there is no federal requirement for plans to cover abortion. About half of states prohibit Marketplace plans from covering abortion. However, other states require plans to cover abortion services and do not permit cost sharing.

For Medicaid enrollees, federal law only allows the use of federal funds for abortion in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment of the pregnant person. In most states, Medicaid coverage for abortion is limited to these circumstances. However, some states use state-only funds to cover abortions in other circumstances for people enrolled in Medicaid.

Many states have banned or severely restricted access to abortion and it may be difficult to locate a provider to obtain an abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment.

Some non-profit organizations provide funds to individuals with limited incomes to help pay for travel, lodging, and the abortion itself. If you are experiencing financial hardship, let the abortion provider know; they may be able to help connect you to one of these special funds.

While we have made every effort to provide accurate information in these FAQs, people should contact the health insurance Marketplace or Medicaid agency in their state for guidance on their specific circumstances.

KFF Headquarters: 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Phone 650-854-9400
Washington Offices and Barbara Jordan Conference Center: 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Phone 202-347-5270

www.kff.org | Email Alerts: kff.org/email | facebook.com/KFF | twitter.com/kff

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.