NPR

Crisis Pregnancy Centers Help Pregnant Women Enroll In Medicaid

Medicaid pays for nearly half the births in the U.S., and centers that counsel women against abortion often help pregnant women enroll in Medicaid so they don't have to worry about health care costs.
Tara Lang was pregnant with her daughter when her fiance was killed in a motorcycle crash. A pregnancy center in Metairie, La., helped her sign up for Medicaid coverage.

When Taylor Merendo moved to Bloomington, Ind., nearly two years ago, fleeing an abusive marriage, she needed help.

"I was six months pregnant and at that point in time, I really didn't have a stable place to live," Merendo says.

That's where the Hannah Center in Bloomington stepped in. It's what's known as a crisis pregnancy center, where women are counseled against abortion and often get support after their babies are born.

Executive Director Tina Tuley-Lampke says many low-income women come in believing they need to have an abortion, and she tries to persuade them otherwise.

"Because for many women it's not

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