New Jersey already protects abortion rights. Now Democrats want to cover out-of-pocket costs, too

By MIKE CATALINI
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s Democratic-led state government is considering legislation that would eliminate out-of-pocket costs for abortion. Gov. Phil Murphy has called on the Legislature to back the bill before the summer. The state already has laws protecting abortion rights and requiring insurers to cover abortion, but among the 10 states that have such a requirement, it is the only one that doesn’t prohibit out-of-pocket costs such as co-payments and deductibles. Even though Democrats control state government, the bill’s prospects are still unknown. Lawmakers will want to consider the costs and how it would be funded.