The fiscal impact of the Medicaid abortion funding ban in Michigan.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the increased public assistance costs resulting from Michigan's 1988 ban on Medicaid funding of abortions.


METHODS
The increased number of births resulting from the Medicaid abortion funding ban was estimated. The costs of this increase in births to the state and federal governments were then calculated.


RESULTS
Using low and high estimates for the numbers of additional children born as a result of Michigan's prohibition of Medicaid abortion funding (2120 and 5800), and the likelihood of these children's remaining on welfare, the 1991 cohort of infants will cost the state's taxpayers $23.1-63.2 million--several times the $6-7 million cost of the abortions, had they taken place. Including the federally paid share, total incremental costs are $50.2-137.4 million.


CONCLUSIONS
Those who have advocated banning Medicaid funding of abortions to reduce government spending, as in Michigan in 1988, have ignored the much greater cost of requiring that those pregnancies be carried to term.
Evans
M I
MI
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hutzel Hospital/Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.
Gleicher
E
E
Feingold
E
E
Johnson
M P
MP
Sokol
R J
RJ
D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000191:economics*; D001723:Birth Rate; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008824:Michigan; D011247:Pregnancy; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000191:economics*; D013660:Taxes; D014481:United States