2023-09-22 07:00:00
Updated on Sept. 22, 2023 with the most recent information and statistics.
An abortion generally costs less than $800, according to Planned Parenthood, and that has not changed a great deal in recent years. However, access to abortions was radically trimmed following the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, which ended federal protections for the procedure and opened the door to state-level restrictions on abortions.
Residents of at least 25 states now have no or severely limited legal access to abortion services, as of August 2022. Those who choose to travel to another state for the medical procedure will have to take on additional costs, while medication abortion (which now accounts for more than half of all abortions) is likely to continue to grow as an option.
What is an abortion?
An abortion is a medical intervention that ends a pregnancy. The vast majority of abortions — 93.1% in 2020 — are performed within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There are two kinds of abortions: medication abortions and surgical (or procedural) abortions. A surgical abortion is a safe, effective medical procedure, and most people who get surgical abortions can resume normal activities the next day. A medication abortion, commonly referred to as the abortion pill, is another safe, effective form of abortion in which two different pills are administered that end the pregnancy.
Since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in June and ended federal protections for abortions, a person’s ability to get an abortion can vary widely based on how many weeks they’ve been pregnant and where they live. You can use Planned Parenthood’s state-by-state guide on abortion access to determine what health care is accessible in your area.
How much does an abortion cost?
First, let’s define the two types of abortions: surgical abortions and medication abortions.
A surgical abortion is a safe, effective medical procedure, and most people who get surgical abortions can resume normal activities the next day. A medication abortion, commonly referred to as the abortion pill, is another safe, effective form of abortion in which two different pills are administered that end the pregnancy.
The vast majority of all abortions — 93.1% in 2020 — are performed within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How much does a surgical abortion cost?
A first trimester surgical abortion can cost as much as $800, according to Planned Parenthood, but generally costs less. On average, a first trimester abortion at Planned Parenthood costs $600. Exact costs can vary, depending in part on how long a person has been pregnant at the time of abortion.
According to a report from the University of California, San Francisco, the national median costs for an abortion in 2021 were:
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$625 for a first-trimester procedural abortion.
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$775 for a second-semester procedural abortion.
How much does an abortion pill cost?
Costs for a medication abortion can vary depending on the length of pregnancy, your insurance, and where the pills are bought or administered.
The abortion pill — a euphemism that refers to the two pills administered for a medication abortion — can cost as much as $800, but usually costs less, according to Planned Parenthood. In 2020, the national median cost for a medication abortion was $560, according to a study in Health Affairs, a journal regarding health policy and research. Depending on where you live, you can receive the abortion pill — once more, that’s actually referring to two pills — at a health clinic, doctor’s office or Planned Parenthood. The FDA has approved the pill for use up to 10 weeks into pregnancy.
States that have restricted abortion access have targeted both surgical and medication abortions, so availability of both methods is affected. In June 2022, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said his department will fight state bans on the use of mifepristone, one of the two components in most medication abortions, so continued access to this form of abortion remains contested.
But access to mifepristone is being threatened. In early April 2023, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the FDA’s approval of mifepristone in 2000 wasn’t valid. That same day, a federal judge in Washington issued a ruling that said mifepristone should still be available and accessible in most states, per The New York Times.
Then, regarding a week later, a federal appeals court ruled that mifepristone is still allowed for now, but it can’t be sent through the mail, and people can’t take it following seven weeks’ pregnancy, according to the Associated Press. Previously, the FDA mandated mifepristone might be used up to 10 weeks of being pregnant.
In May 2022, the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have codified the right to abortion, failed in the U.S. Senate.
Does insurance cover abortions?
That’s a tricky question to answer, as circumstances are changing almost daily. In some states, insurance still technically offers coverage for what’s become an illegal procedure. In other states, abortion is legal, but certain health insurance plans are barred from covering the procedure.
Here’s what we do know:
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Per federal law, no health insurance plan is required to cover abortion.
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No federal funds can be used to pay for abortions, with the exception of abortions following rape, incest or life endangerment.
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All states are technically required to cover abortions that meet those federal exceptions.
Some private plans only cover abortion in exceptions of rape, incest or life endangerment. And if abortion is illegal in a given state, then any insurance coverage is moot.
Where are abortions available?
In the months since federal protections for abortion were thrown out, some states made efforts to protect the right to abortion, while others sought to ban access to abortion in almost all instances. It’s a situation that’s changing day-by-day.
The American Civil Liberties Union, a nonprofit organization, is regularly updating its state-by-state abortion availability map.
The following information is updated as of September 2023.
Abortion is legal and accessible in these states, though there may be restrictions based on the length of the pregnancy: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington
In these states, abortion is still accessible, but isn’t legally protected under the state constitution: New Hampshire, Virginia
And these states either have total bans on abortion or make it extremely difficult to obtain an abortion: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Can I travel to get an abortion?
You can cross state lines to obtain an abortion. As it stands right now, there aren’t any laws once morest doing so.
However, some states have attempted to ban people from traveling for an abortion. Experts predict that more states might break from convention and start punishing people for going to another state to do something that’s illegal in their own state.
Before traveling to get an abortion, consider seeking legal advice regarding your state’s abortion laws. The American Bar Association offers free, confidential legal advice from lawyers volunteering to answer questions online.
If you decide to travel for an abortion, don’t forget to budget for all the potential costs associated with the trip. Some expenses to plan for include lodging, gas, food, child care, pet sitting, time off work and bus or plane tickets.
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