SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law March 22 that eliminates out-of-pocket costs for abortions and abortion-related services. “As states across the country attempt to move us backward by restricting fundamental reproductive rights, California continues to protect and advance reproductive freedom for all,” Newsom said in a statement. Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 245, the Abortion Accessibility Act, during a virtual ceremony with California Legislative Women’s Caucus members and other pro-choice organizations. Introduced by Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), SB 245 prohibits health plans and insurers from requiring co-pay, deductible, or other costs for women seeking abortion services—including pre-abortion and follow-up services. The law also prohibits health plans and insurers from imposing utilization management practices on covered abortion or abortion-related services. It also includes removing in-person follow-up visits and ultrasounds for Medi-Cal abortion providers. California law permits pregnant women to terminate a pregnancy unless the fetus becomes viable—meaning survivable outside …