ABORTION
RESOURCES
The logistics of having an abortion can be difficult, even in states where abortion is not prohibited or heavily regulated, and it is therefore important to know what resources are available that can help getting an abortion. Having an abortion is not cheap - in fact, medical abortions cost between $300-$700, while surgical abortions can cost anywhere between $800-$3,000. There are health insurance plans that cover abortion services, though this is heavily dependent on state regulation of health insurance abortion coverage. Moreover, Planned Parenthood provides financial aid to patients who can show that they live in financial circumstances that would otherwise prohibit access to an abortion. There are also other groups and non-profit organizations that have limited funds available to help cover for the cost of an abortion. Many of these have grouped together in the National Network of Abortion Funds.
Health Insurance Coverage
Some health insurance plans do cover all or part of the cost of an abortion. Whether or not this is the case, though, depends heavily on the legislation of individual states, some of which have partially or wholly banned insurance coverage for abortion. Individual regulations vary. For instance, many states prohibit coverage for abortion services in government insurance plans such as Medicare and Medicaid. Fewer restrict insurance coverage for abortion on the free insurance market or in employer-provided plans. A good overview of insurance coverage for abortion is provided by the Guttmacher Institute (https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/regulating-insurance-coverage-abortion). It is also always an option to reach out to insurance providers directly for more information about abortion coverage.
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood does not generally offer free abortion services. However, for indigent patients who meet rigorous financial need requirements, financial aid for abortion services may be available. To obtain more information about this, it is generally best to reach out to the nearest Planned Parenthood Health Center. To find the closest location, use the search mask on the website (https://www.plannedparenthood.org).
National Network of Abortion Funds
The National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) is a coalition of small abortion rights groups and non-profit organizations who may have limited funding available to help cover the cost of an abortion. A list of these abortion funds, organized by state, can be found on the website of NNAF (https://abortionfunds.org/need-abortion/#funds-list). The website also provides valuable information about finding abortion clinics and lists several abortion clinic providers.
