Opinion ID: 1312214
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the hyde amendment

Text: In 1980, the United States Supreme Court in Harris v. McRae, 448 U.S. 297, 100 S.Ct. 2671, 65 L.Ed.2d 784 (1980), addressed whether a state participating in the Medicaid program must continue to fund those abortions that do not qualify for federal monies under the Hyde Amendment. Initially, the Court noted that [s]ince September 1976, Congress has prohibited ... the use of any federal funds to reimburse the costs of abortions under the Medicaid program except under certain specified circumstances. 448 U.S. at 302, 100 S.Ct. at 2680, 65 L.Ed.2d at 795 (Footnote omitted). In concluding that states are not required to continue funding these services, the Court reasoned: Title XIX was designed as a cooperative program of shared financial responsibility, not as a device for the Federal Government to compel a State to provide services that Congress itself is unwilling to fund. Thus, if Congress chooses to withdraw federal funding for a particular service, a State is not obliged to continue to pay for that service as a condition of continued federal financial support of other services. 448 U.S. at 309, 100 S.Ct. at 2684, 65 L.Ed.2d at 799-800. Thus, the Court held that: Title XIX does not require a participating State to pay for those medically necessary abortions for which federal reimbursement is unavailable under the Hyde Amendment. 448 U.S. at 311, 100 S.Ct. at 2685, 65 L.Ed.2d at 800 (Footnote omitted). See also Williams v. Zbaraz, 448 U.S. 358, 100 S.Ct. 2694, 65 L.Ed.2d 831 (1980); Doe v. Heintz, 204 Conn. 17, 526 A.2d 1318 (1987); Right to Choose v. Byrne, 91 N.J. 287, 450 A.2d 925 (1982); Planned Parenthood Ass'n v. Department of Human Resources, 63 Or. App. 41, 663 P.2d 1247 (1983), aff'd, 297 Or. 562, 687 P.2d 785 (1984). Cf. Beal v. Doe, supra (Social Security Act does not require States to fund nontherapeutic abortions as a condition of participating in the Medicaid program). However, the Supreme Court further observed that although states are not compelled to pay for abortions, under the federal Medicaid program [a] participating State is free, if it so chooses, to include in its Medicaid plan those medically necessary abortions for which federal reimbursement is unavailable. 448 U.S. at 311 n. 16, 100 S.Ct. at 2684 n. 16, 65 L.Ed.2d at 800 n. 16. Harris held only that a State need not include such abortions in its Medicaid Plan. 448 U.S. at 311 n. 16, 100 S.Ct. at 2685 n. 16, 65 L.Ed.2d at 800 n. 16 (Emphasis in original). Thus, the Hyde Amendment's restriction on the use of federal Medicaid funds to pay for abortions in certain instances does not prohibit a state from expending its own state funds to pay for abortions. See, e.g., Beal v. Doe, supra ; Preterm, Inc. v. Dukakis, 591 F.2d 121 (1st Cir.1979), appeal dismissed, King v. Preterm, Inc., 441 U.S. 952, 99 S.Ct. 2182, 60 L.Ed.2d 1057 (1979); Dodge v. Department of Social Servs., 657 P.2d 969 (Colo.App. 1982); Kindley v. Governor of Md., 289 Md. 620, 426 A.2d 908 (1981); Moe v. Secretary of Admin. & Fin., 382 Mass. 629, 417 N.E.2d 387 (1981). In the wake of Harris v. McRae , the Department concluded that it was in the best interest of this State to continue funding abortions that are determined to be medically advisable by the attending physician in light of physical, emotional, psychological, familial, or age factors ... relevant to the well-being of the patient. [5] Because the Department believed that the benefit of receiving federal funds for the few eligible abortions was outweighed by the administrative burden of procuring them, [6] it elected not to seek federal funds to pay for these services. Instead, the Department pays for abortions which would otherwise qualify for federal reimbursement with state funds exclusively. To assure that federal appropriations are not misused, the Department deducts the entire amount of expenditures for abortions from the report it submits to the HCFA for federal matching funds. The HCFA has audited the West Virginia State Medicaid Plan for several years and has never questioned the State's procedure.