Study Links Abortion Bans to Higher Insurance Premiums for Women
New preliminary research from the University of Michigan, funded by the Center for Reproductive Rights, finds women in states with post-Dobbs abortion bans saw a 5.4% increase in employer-sponsored health insurance premium costs after 2022, compared to women in non-ban states. The study, not yet peer-reviewed, used Census Bureau survey data from 2019-2025 and found even larger premium increases for Black (12.8%) and Hispanic (13.7%) women, with no comparable effect among men. Researchers compared ten states with near-total bans to five states without bans, excluding states that expanded Medicaid during the period to isolate the bans' effect. Authors suggest insurers may be passing along higher costs tied to increased birth complications and reduced ability to terminate high-risk pregnancies.