ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday actions the state plans to take to protect access to abortion medications.
Hochul says the state will stockpile the abortion medication Misoprostol, in an effort to protect access to abortion in New York State.
Last week, two federal judges made decisions over the availability of the abortion drug mifepristone creating confusion for Americans who insist that availability of the medication be guaranteed.
Last year, the US Supreme Court repealed the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, granting women access to abortions.
The governor directed the New York State Department of Health to begin purchasing Misoprostol to stockpile a five-year supply. That would be 150,000 doses.
"Anti-choice extremists have shown that they are not stopping at overturning Roe, and they are working to entirely dismantle our country's reproductive health care system, including medication abortion and contraception," Governor Hochul said. "New York will always be a safe harbor for abortion care, and I am taking action to protect abortion access in our State and continue to lead the nation in defending the right to reproductive autonomy."
Should the abortion medication be taken off the market, Hochul says the state is prepared to provide an additional $20 million to providers to support access to other methods of care.
Hochul says she is also working with the state legislature to require private insurers to cover Misoprostol when prescribed off-label for abortion and to ensure providers are not charged increased medical practice coverage rates if they prescribe Misoprostol off-label.
Governor Hochul has already proposed several actions in the proposed 2024 fiscal year state budget:
• Increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates
• Providing $25 million in support to providers
• Allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control
• Implementing data privacy protections, and
• Expanding abortion access on SUNY and CUNY campuses
Other states, including California and Massachusetts have also begun stockpiling the drug.