How Much Does An Abortion Cost Without Health Insurance

An induced miscarriage can be done in two ways, depending on the stage of pregnancy. The most common option is a medication referred to as the abortion pill, which can be taken up to 10 weeks into pregnancy. A procedure performed at an abortion clinic is the second option for a pregnancy that has progressed further. The pill has a high success rate and allows patients to terminate the pregnancy at home, according to Planned Parenthood.

Abortions or induced miscarriages can be expensive. On average, an induced miscarriage that takes place before 10 weeks comes at a cost of$300 to $800. A second-trimester procedure can cost thousands. Many women also face additional out-of-pocket costs that include traveling to an abortion clinic, accommodations, child care, and lost wages. According to one study, half of the women who received an induced miscarriage spent at least 1/3 of their monthly income on the costs.

While All Eyes Are On The Us Supreme Court We Must Remember That Pennsylvanias Constitution Explicitly Guarantees Equality On The Basis Of Sex And Prohibits Laws That Confer Different Burdens Or Benefits On Men And Women

Susan J. Frietsche, senior staff attorney at the Womens Law Project

Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt

The recent award-winning short film, Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa tells the gut-wrenching story of low-income women calling Pennsylvanias Womens Medical Fund seeking help to pay for abortion health care.

All my savings that I had are going towards my insulin and making sure my kid is set, said one caller, who had survived one life-threatening pregnancy already and had just lost her job. I have $100 and enough to cover my rent for this coming month.

But the counselor had only $19 left to give out that day, so she asked the caller to try again the next day, when she hoped more money would be available.

Since 1985, Pennsylvania has banned Medicaid insurance coverage for abortion with few exceptions, and low-income women have suffered. Unable to use their insurance for abortion health care, they have had to rely on private abortion funds that often cannot meet all callers needs.

Last Wednesday, Pennsylvania-based abortion providers and reproductive rights lawyers led by the Womens Law Project and Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed their brief in a lawsuitAllegheny Reproductive Health Center v. Pennsylvania Department of Human Servicesasking the states Supreme Court to strike down the Pennsylvania ban on Medicaid funding for abortion as a violation of the Equal Rights Amendment and equal protection provisions of the Pennsylvania Constitution.

Costs Associated With Abortion

Abortion can pose a heavy financial burden for low-income people.

• The cost of an abortion without insurance coverage is substantial: In 2014, the average cost of an abortionwhether surgical or medicalat 10 weeks of pregnancy was slightly more than $500. The median cost at 20 weeks was $1,195.9 In addition, patients often must pay out of pocket for additional nonmedical costs, such as transportation, child care and lodging.
• For a person whose income is at the higher end of Medicaid eligibility in the states that adhere to the Hyde Amendment requirements, paying for an abortion at 10 weeks of pregnancy would take nearly a third of their monthly family income. An abortion at 20 weeks would take almost 90% of their monthly income.
• Many individuals and families are unable to handle an emergency expense of $500 or more. When U.S. adults were asked in a 2016 nationally representative survey how they would pay for a $400 emergency expense, more than 40% of respondents said that they would be unable to find the money or that they would only be able to cover the unexpected cost by borrowing money or selling something. One-quarter of adults reported having forgone health care in the previous year because of high cost.11
• Forty-one percent of abortion patients surveyed in six states in 2011 said it was somewhat or very difficult to pay for their care.12

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Will Your Health Insurance Plan Cover Abortion

Abortion or induced miscarriages can end up costing hundreds to thousands of dollars if you have to pay out of your own pocket, but will your health coverage cover the bill?

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Most insurance plans cover a wide range of womens health services. Abortion is one service that is often contentious, however. Depending on where you live, coverage for services at an abortion clinic may be guaranteed with private insurance, available with some insurers, or banned completely. Heres what you should know about abortion coverage before you request health insurance quotes for the coverage you need.

How Much Does An Abortion Cost

An abortion could cost anywhere from $350 to $2,000 depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy. There is no exact cost for an abortion, but it depends on a few different factors. Abortion costs will vary depending on:

• What state you live in
• What type of abortion procedure you receive
• What type of health insurance you have

A medication abortion/the abortion pill option can typically cost between $350-$650 with insurance. A surgical abortion normally costs between $600-$2,000 with insurance. This all depends on where you live and what type of health insurance you have.

If you are local to our clinic, abortion laws in Pennsylvania allow abortion procedures up to 24 weeks from your last menstrual period. After 24 or more weeks of pregnancy, abortion is only permitted if the womans life or health is endangered.

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Health Insurance Coverage Options For Abortions

Abortions can be a pricey procedure to undergo, making it imperative to have health insurance coverage from companies that offer plans that cover abortions. There are a variety of health insurance providers on the market that offer to pay for some or all of the fees for abortions. Once you obtain the insurance plan you desire, you can visit a Boston abortion clinic that provides reproductive health care services for women. Medicaid only offers abortion coverage if it is a life endangering situation for the expectant mother. This is why its important to obtain private insurance instead. Lets take a look into some of the available health insurance company options.

Legislation: Federal And State

At the federal level, the Affordable Care Act and cases such as Roe V. Wade continue to offer some protection for a womans right to choose.

But continuous debates have raised questions and sparked restrictions such as the Hyde Amendment, which keeps federal funds from being used for abortion services .

While changes in either direction seem to be stagnant at the national level, changes within the states are much faster, making states the real determining factor in womens ability to receive abortion care.

Here are a few of the current restrictions :

• 11 states restrict private insurers from covering abortion
• 26 states restrict the coverage of abortion through the insurance exchanges
• 22 states deny public employees abortion coverage through health insurance
• 20 states apply a combination of these restrictions

Beyond that, only 17 states in the nation offer abortion coverage through state Medicare. Since women living in poverty make up more than half of the number of unintended pregnancies, the cost of keeping them from this procedure through such programs as Medicare may be far greater.

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How Will You Know What Decision Is Right For You

It’s not easy to decide to end a pregnancy. You may need some time to think about your choices. Counseling may help you to decide what is best for you. If you’re comfortable, you can start by talking with your doctor. Family planning clinics also offer counseling to help you decide what is best for you. You may also want to talk with someone close to you who understands how pregnancy and raising a child would affect your life. Carefully think through your choices, which are to:

• Have a baby, and support and raise your child to adulthood.
• Have a baby, and place the baby for adoption.
• Have an abortion.

Where You Live/work And Insurance Type

Because of the some of the legislation stated above, as well as many that havent been acknowledged, your ability to get an abortion through insurance may be restricted.

If you are a federal worker, you are less likely to receive coverage for abortion services. While others are only restricted with employer-based plans if the state has restrictions .

Though most with employer-based insurance have coverage for abortion, states with more restrictions tend to have fewer facilities that offer abortion services. Sometimes this forces women to go out of state, which could affect whether the procedure is covered.

One exemption to much of this legislation is student health plans. Since these are not governed the same way, you may be able to receive abortion services through your university health plan if that applies to you.

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Health Insurance Abortion Cost Sharing

Most health insurance plans in New Jersey contain cost-sharing features. The patient is responsible for paying all abortion-related charges not covered by the health plan.

These cost-sharing components include deductibles, co-insurance, and copayments and are unique to each plan.

Deductible

A health insurance deductible is an amount you must pay out-of-pocket each plan year before the plan begins picking up a portion of your medical expenses. Every plan has a unique annual deductible amount.

• The plan begins paying a portion of expenses once you have already satisfied the annual deductible.
• The patient is responsible for 100% of the expenses until she reaches this annual amount.

Coinsurance

Coinsurance is the percentage of the charges that your plan will pay. The patient is responsible for paying the remainder. Every plan has a unique co-insurance arrangement.

Consider this example for a plan with 80% coinsurance covering an early-pregnancy abortion costing $600 with an in-network provider.

• Allowed Amount $600
• Paid by patient $120

Co-payments

Co-payments are mandatory charges that the clinic must collect before providing services. Each plan has unique co-payment amounts, which range from $5 to $50 for each office visit or test.

You may need to fund three or more co-payments yourself.

Estimating Costs

• Find surgical abortion costs here
• Find medical abortion costs here

Q: Why Does It Matter If Health Insurance Does Or Doesn’t Cover Abortions

A: The main reason it matters is abortions aren’t cheap. As a result, many American women rely on health insurance to help cover the procedure’s costs.

For example, according to one recent national survey, 24 percent of women paid for their abortion using Medicaid coverage. Fifteen percent used private insurance to pay for their abortion.

That’s right in line with what Katherine McGuiness, the Board President of the Network for Reproductive Options, an abortion fund that serves Oregon and Idaho, recently told The New Republic. For anyone who even dips their toe into this work, you soon realize that insurance coverage, or lack of coverage, is one of the biggest determining factors in whether or not someone can get an abortion.”

Without the right health insurance, many women can’t afford an abortion, which pro-choice proponents say threatens both their physical and economic health.

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Religare Care Health Insurance Policy

Let us see one of the more popular private health insurance plans in India have to say in its policy wordings regarding abortions, maternity and pregnancies.

Heres the definition of maternity as per Religare Care:

We see here that maternity expenses clearly includes the expenses towards the lawful medical termination of pregnancy during the policy period.

Now, we look at the maternity benefit offered by the plan to get more details on what is included in this coverage

I find here that Religare has clearly established the answer to the question on does insurance pay for abortions. Under the Religare Care health insurance policy, the insurance policy shall pay for any hospitalization arising due to involuntary medical termination of pregnancy as per the MTP Act of 1971 and other applicable laws & rules.

It is also important to note that the policy shall not admit any maternity expenses claims that are incurred in connection with the voluntary medical termination of pregnancy during the first 12 weeks from the date of conception.

And in the exclusions section of the policy wordings, the Religare Care insurance policy makes it clear that voluntary termination of pregnancy shall be excluded for medical expenses claim admission.

Where Can I Get The Abortion Pill

You can get medication abortion at many Planned Parenthood health centers. Our caring doctors and nurses are experts at providing safe abortion and providing non-judgmental support throughout the process. Even if your local Planned Parenthood does not provide the abortion pill, you can call for more information about where to get it in your area.

When looking for a place to get an abortion, beware of crisis pregnancy centers. These fake clinics seem like medical centers that offer abortions or other pregnancy options, but theyre actually run by people who want to scare or shame people out of getting an abortion.

Depending on where you live, there may be age restrictions or waiting periods to get an abortion. You can ask about these when you call your doctor or health center.

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If The Lawsuit Succeeds Pennsylvania Will Join 16 Other States That Cover Abortion Through Medicaid

Pennsylvania is one of 33 states with policies mirroring the federal Hyde Amendment barring public Medicaid funding for abortion health care except in cases of life endangerment, rape or incesta policy upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1980 case of Harris v. McRae.

Advocates are asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to overturn the 1985 case of Fischer v. Department of Public Welfare, which ruled that the coverage ban was constitutional. They seek a court order recognizing abortion as a fundamental right and restoring Medicaid insurance coverage of abortion.

Health care is a human right, and people deserve the right to decide if and when they want to become pregnant free of stigma, said Signe Espinoza, executive director of Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates. For too long, Pennsylvanias harmful Medicaid ban on abortion coverage has not given Pennsylvanians this freedom.

Does My Insurance Cover Abortion

Many factors determine the price of an abortion, which affect the answer to that all-consuming question does insurance cover abortion?

While the answer to this question isnt easy to determine, the reality is that not all women will be able to cover abortion with insurance.

Here are a few of the factors that affect whether your insurance will cover abortion:

• Legislation
• The state you live in
• Where you work
• Type of insurance

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How Much Is An Abortion With Insurance

If you have insurance that covers an abortion procedure, you can count on paying anywhere from nothing to a few hundred dollars out of pocket, depending on the type of procedure and your policy’s copay or coinsurance requirements, explains Martucci.

“Patients without insurance coverage can expect to pay upwards of $1,000 — perhaps significantly more — for a surgical abortion later in pregnancy, or a few hundred dollars for a medical or surgical abortion earlier in pregnancy. These costs will vary by provider, state, and other factors,” he adds.

Without insurance, a medical abortion can likely cost between $300 and $700, and a surgical abortion can cost more than $3,000.

The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that the median cost of an abortion is $500 at 10 weeks gestation versus $1,195 at 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Organizations like Planned Parenthood also offer services at no to low cost if you qualify. Contact Planned Parenthood health centers for more information about those options.

Q: Does Medicare Cover Abortions

A: Only in certain circumstances. Again, this coverage is limited due to the passage of the Hyde Amendment.

As for when Medicare covers abortions, one is if the pregnancy is the result of rape. Another is if the pregnancy is the result of incest. Medicare also covers abortions that need to be performed because the pregnancy is putting a woman’s life in danger.

To learn more about the kinds of medical treatments and services Medicare does and doesn’t usually cover, read our “Ultimate Guide to Medicare.”

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The Cost Is Only Growing

The Hyde Amendment impacts everyone with the ability to reproduce, but it has an especially profound impact on low-income women, young women, and women of color. These demographic groups are more likely to be enrolled in Medicaid and other public health insurance programs. They are disproportionately affected by individual and community-level factors that can compound the obstacles to their ability to lead healthy reproductive lives. These factors can include lack of access to a trusted provider within a given community, lack of access to reliable and safe housing, grappling with systemic barriers like discrimination in the health care system, or being economically disadvantaged. Taken together, these circumstances also make low-income women, young women, and women of color most likely to experience unintended pregnancy.

Nikki had worked to save the funding she needed for the abortion, yet due to the cost of gas, she arrived $15 short of what she needed.

Does Health Insurance Cover Abortions

An abortion procedure, including a medication abortion and a surgical abortion, may or may not be covered by your health insurance plan. The answer depends on your state’s reproductive health care laws and restrictions, the type of health insurance, insurance company policies and the timeframe of the pregnancy. Some states restrict abortion, while others allow women to have access to abortion procedures depending on the situation.

“Regulations governing health insurance coverage for abortions vary by state. In some states, insurance coverage for abortion — including Medicaid coverage — is quite limited, allowing coverage only in situations where the mother’s life is in danger. In other states, coverage is less restrictive,” says Brian Martucci, the Minneapolis-based finance editor for Money Crashers.

According to the Guttmacher Institute:

ACA marketplace plans may or may not cover abortion services. In more than half the states, health insurance plans sold in the exchange arent allowed to cover abortions except for circumstances involving rape, incest, or the mother’s life being in danger.

The Guttmacher Institute says Medicaid only provides insurance coverage of abortion within 33 states and the District of Columbia in instances of rape, incest, or life endangerment. South Dakota restricts public abortion coverage to cases of life endangerment. The other states utilize their own Medicaid funds to offer coverage that applies to most or all medically necessary abortions.

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