Low-Income Women's Access to Abortion

New York allows women eligible for state medical assistance for general health care to obtain public funds to pay for a medically necessary abortion.  "Medically necessary" is defined as necessary to prevent, diagnose, correct, or cure conditions in the person that cause acute suffering, endanger life, result in illness or infirmity, interfere with a person's capacity for normal activity, or threaten some significant handicap.  N.Y. Soc. Serv. Law § 365-a(2) (Enacted 1966); N.Y. State Medicaid Program, Provider Manual, Physician Policy Guidelines, 18-19 (Rev. 2004) at http://www.emedny.org/ProviderManuals/Physician/PDFS/Physician_Manual_Policy_Guidelines.pdf.