NEW data From the Guttmacher Institute shows that more people are turning to virtual care on abortion – and although this treat can look like a silver lining in our post-Deer World, it can be dangerously misleading if we do not pay attention.
TV is undoubtedly an essential tool. My organization was one of the country's first abortion suppliers to offer telemedicine in 2009. And since the FDA made it possible to deliver abortion pills by mail in 2021, we worked tirelessly to extend our virtual abortion care in 10 states to reach as many patients as possible. But let's be clear: virtual care alone is not a miracle solution. And it is not a replacement for really accessible care.
The best care of abortion concerns both / and, avoiding the tyranny of one or the other / or. Real access looks like real options for abortion applicants, whether in our clinic or in the comfort of their own space. We need the two. After all, abortions after 12 weeks are provided in clinics, so focus only on pills and telemedicine neglects patients who are further in their pregnancies or who need a wider range of pain management options.
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The increase in the supply of abortion only online testifies to the essential role played by virtual suppliers at a time of prohibition and narrowing. Where it is available, remote charts can reduce obstacles by reducing journey time, reducing costs and reducing the stigma that people can feel when they grow through demonstrators to request abortion care in person. But this is only part of history.
The reality is that the number of Guttmacher has shown that the majority of abortions last year still took place in brick and mortar clinics. It is a crucial detail because despite the headlines and hope around telemedicine, most people are still counting on person care. And for those who live in the 16 states with almost total total abortion prohibitionsVirtual care is not always achievable because they still have to leave the state entirely. Access to virtual abortion care is not easy than clicking on a link. You need a device, an internet connection, a credit card and – critically – a safe place to receive the pills. For a person suffering from domestic violence, insecurity in housing or financial instability, these requirements can be just as insurmountable as going to a clinic.
Every day, our clinic clinicians and our virtual care providers work closely with patients who sail in an increasingly fractured and expensive system. And too often, those who hit the hardest ones are black and Latina women, young people and people occupying hourly wage jobs without paid leave. Based on Guttmacher data And the experience of our own patients, we see a clear preference for person care among our colored patients, while our virtual care is whiter and Asian. This alone should challenge the hypotheses that telemedicine is an option for everyone.
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Fewer and fewer travelers can afford to do abortion care in other states. Others must delay care or give it entirely. And yet, none of the recent reports on access to abortion, including Guttmacher and Viral data new York Times cardstook into account the impact of financing.
For example, immediately after Dobbs Decision -making DeerThe Access to Access to Abortion (TAF) operated by resources for the delivery of abortion (RAD) has intervened to cover the total cost of abortion care for people traveling Ban states to access points like Illinois, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina and New Mexico. Support like that has changed the situation. He provided attended procedures and released local funds from the base and local abortion to focus on covering travel, accommodation and other practical support.
But This support ended in September 2024And this followed major reductions in the National Abortion Federation Justice Fund which has gone to finance our patients in poverty at 50% to 30% in July of the same year. The effects of these cuts were immediate. Although existing abortion funds always do incredible work, they are under immense tension. And without this additional layer of funding, much fewer patients can travel or get the full scope of the care they need. For many, the question of whether they can access abortion – alone where or how – now comes down to what they can afford. We cannot simply ignore how the economic landscape has moved with the devastating loss of this additional support.
Let's not forget: people should Be able to use their insurance or Medicaid to pay abortion care, not only donations or emergency subsidies. Dollars of donations should not be used for care that Medicaid and insurance could easily cover. This is why we are sailing on sticky administrative formalities to accept insurance and Medicaid for patients in as many states as possible, but ultimately, reimbursement systems are uneven, and far too many people live in places where public or private coverage cannot be used for abortion care.
As independent abortion suppliers, we do everything we can. We have dedicated personnel whose only work is to help patients access each dollar funding available. Each day, we coordinate between $ 5,000 and $ 10,000 in financial support for our patients. It's six days a week, 52 weeks a year. But with National abortions fund unable to provide so much money And the basic local funds extended to their limits, it is never enough.
When people talk about telemedicine like THE Solution, they often neglect these financial realities. They also underestimate the practical support required to make access real. Even if the funding was available as if by magic to cover 100% of the patient's abortion procedure, it does not mean if he cannot afford a gas tank to leave his condition, find a hotel room or organize childcare services for their children at home. These are the underwater infrastructure that we need urgently.
To build a future where abortion is really accessible, we must prioritize economic justice, invest in the infrastructure that supports patients in motion and center people most affected by prohibitions and obstacles. This means investing in clinical care And virtual care. It means Medicaid And Mutual help. Nothing less risks strengthen the very inequalities that we try to dismantle.
