Nevada cedes lawsuit to allow Medicaid to cover abortion

Nevada Medicaid will expand to cover the cost of medically-necessary abortions after the state decided to cede in the legal battle challenging that access. 

Silver State Hope Fund, a nonprofit organization supporting abortion access, officially won its lawsuit against the Nevada Department of Health of Human Services on Thursday. The organization had previously filed against the state alongside the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Nevada to challenge Nevada’s ban on Medicaid coverage for abortion as sex-based discrimination in violation of the state constitution's Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

A Clark County judge ruled in favor of the advocacy organizations in March, but it was unclear whether or not Nevada would appeal the court’s decision.

“We are deeply committed to championing abortion rights and ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their financial status, have access to comprehensive healthcare services, free from unnecessary barriers and stigma,” Silver State Hope board President Marya Shegog wrote in a statement. 

Abortion access has been a longstanding conversation throughout the 2024 election cycle, particularly because November’s presidential race will be the first after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Nevada voters will have the opportunity to further expand access through a ballot measure that seeks to enshrine abortion into the state constitution.