The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Maine, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit challenging a Maine law requiring that abortions be performed only by physicians and blocking qualified nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives (also known as advanced practice registered nurses, or APRNs) from providing this care, despite their rigorous post-graduate training and extensive clinical experience. The physician-only law severely restricts patient access to abortion services in Maine, a rural and medically underserved state.

The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Maine, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit seeking to restore abortion coverage for women who qualify for MaineCare. Current Maine Department of Health and Human Services policy bans abortion coverage under the state’s public insurance program, except in extremely limited circumstances, in violation of the Maine Constitution and state statute.