The GOP's abortion bill could cost Medicaid $500 million

(Image credit: Alexandra Beier/Getty Images)

A Republican-backed bill that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks could cost the government up to $500 million over the next decade, according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office.

In an estimate released Tuesday, the nonpartisan CBO said the measure would increase births and thus increase federal spending for Medicaid by $100 million to $500 million through 2025. Adding that it was "very uncertain" exactly how many additional pregnancies would result should the bill pass, the CBO pegged the probable budget increase at $235 million.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.