Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is weighing in on two health issues that are playing out on the national battlefield in recent months.
Brown issued amicus briefs in support of healthcare coverage for transgender Americans and to keep Mifepristone, a widely-used abortion drug, legal.
Amicus briefs are legal insights into a case submitted by interested parties that are not directly involved in the case, but may have specific interest or expertise.
The case regarding transgender health care is playing out in Florida, where a recently adopted rule prohibits Medicaid coverage for services that treat gender dysphoria.
“For as long as I’ve been advocating for access to quality, affordable healthcare, I have always stated that healthcare is a right and that means that denying access to that care based on gender identification is a violation of a civil right,” Brown said. “To specifically target people who rely on Medicaid for healthcare is not only appalling, it is discriminatory. I will always fight for equal access to healthcare for everyone.”
Seven states and the District of Columbia have also filed briefs supporting coverage.
The second petition argues to keep Mifepristone on the market.
The drug was originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration more than 20 years ago and prescribed in more than 60 countries. It is used for about half of all abortions in the United States and for miscarriage management, according to the FDA.
In April, a federal judge in Texas made a ruling that suspended the FDA’s approval of the medication.
The Supreme Court later ruled that the drug can continue to stay on the market as the case plays out in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
“I said I would continue to fight. I will not let my guard down in protecting and ensuring equal access to abortion care, including the medication mifepristone. We must prevent needless harm to individuals seeking safe reproductive health care,” Brown said. “The implications for restricting mifepristone are clear – there will be inequity in health care options and lives will be put at risk.”
Gov. Wes Moore stated that Maryland will stockpile the drug to ensure its availability in Maryland.
