Getting the Funding You Need for an Abortion
An abortion procedure costs an average of $451 in the first trimester, but can sometimes cost thousands of dollars. Of course, this doesn’t even include funding for incidentals, which might include transportation, staying in a hotel or getting an ultrasound. Many, many people feel the burden of this cost, as some private insurance companies do not cover pregnancy termination procedures. In Michigan it is even outlawed unless you purchase additional coverage, even in cases of rape and incest. In fact, A University of California study found that over half of the people they surveyed who tried to get an abortion were unable to get one because of the heavy costs, and those denied abortions are three times as likely to fall into poverty.
Since 1 in 3 women will get an abortion in their lifetime, this is a real issue for many. Access to legal, safe abortions should NOT just exist for those who have class privilege. But because of anti-choice legislation that prevents abortion from being accessible, (after all, their goal is to put barriers to choice in place), unfortunately that is the reality that we live in.
The good news is that if you need to get an abortion, but don’t have the money there are ways to get funding.
Health Insurance: Even though private insurance doesn’t cover abortion in all cases, there is a chance that your plan could cover the service. About 66% of insurance providers cover abortion services to some degree. The best way to find this out is to call your provider directly.
If you recently purchased health insurance on the new health exchange, depending on your state of residency and plan choice, your abortion may also not be covered by your new insurance.
If you are covered through Medicaid, you may be able to receive abortion services. Check out this fact sheet from the Guttmacher Institute to see if you live in one of the 15 qualifying states. Even if you don’t yet have Medicaid but live in one of these 15 states, you can use this document to find out how to enroll and what the requirements for enrollment are.
Abortion Funds: Abortion funds are services that you can use to receive funding for your abortion when you cannot afford to pay for one yourself. Essentially, it works a lot like a personal grant. There are many services you can use to search for funding in your area, including the National Network for Abortion Funds, ACCESS, The DC Abortion Fund , and the Women’s Emergency Network.
If you ever run into extra money or want to use your cash to make a difference, consider donating to an abortion fund to help partially or fully fund an abortion. This donation is tax-deductible and more importantly, it can help save a life.
The NAF Hotline: The National Abortion Federation Hotline can answer any questions you might have about abortion, including how to fund one. They can provide you with non-biased support and information about abortion, as well as refer you to providers in your area.
If you call the hotline, you may also become eligible to receive funding from the NAF Rachel Falls Patient Assistance Fund. To reach them, call 1-800-772-9100. They are available from 7AM-11PM EST on weekdays and 9AM-9PM EST on weekends.
You do have the right to access a safe, legal abortion. Even though you have to jump through many hoops in order to exercise this right (which we all know is messed up), please remember this as you seek access to fund one.
We ALL must remember how important reproductive rights and access are and work to ensure that our politicians in office and laws reflect this.