Almost nobody has the cash ready to pay for urgent medical care that can cost $2,000-$20,000 or more. Abortion clinics know this. So when scheduling your appointment, ask the staff if there are any financial support options. Some clinics will discuss these options during intake, and can even pre-screen you for support.

The National Abortion Federation (NAF)

You can find the NAF hotline here: nationalabortionfederation.org/naf-hotline/

NAF will ask for “qualifying information” to determine your level of need. They use this information to determine how much funding they can contribute to your care. They will ask questions like “how much do you have in savings” or “do you receive child support payments”. They will not ask for any proof or backup for the answers you give them.

The National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF)

This is a collection of independent groups in states all across the country who exist to help people get abortions. Visit their simple, step-by-step process for finding care here: abortionfunds.org/need-abortion

Solidarity funding

Your funding may come from multiple different organizations. This practice is referred to as “solidarity funding.” Often volunteers are working behind the scenes on your behalf. Different funds have different processes for this but the clinic can help you figure out which funds to contact and then how active you need to be during the solidarity funding process. Ask the clinic what their policy is if you do not have all of your funding in place by the time of your appointment. Some clinics will need you to reschedule, others will still be able to see you even if there is a balance. Please try to be patient while this process happens!

Some states cover abortion care through public insurance, or Medicaid. You can check this guide from the National Network of Abortion Funds to determine whether and how you can use Medicaid in your state. Note that if you need to travel outside your state for your abortion, you cannot use Medicaid. Not all clinics are able to accept Medicaid.

California, Maine, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Maryland and New York require state-regulated private insurance to cover abortions. However, please be aware this doesn't necessarily mean you will be able to use your insurance. Some clinics cannot accept most private insurance plans because of low reimbursement rates.

If abortion is legal in your state, it is a good idea to contact your insurance, private or public, and ask them if it is covered in your specific instance. Sometimes abortion is covered in cases of rape, incest, or fetal indications, but this can be hard to use in practice and sometimes requires reporting.

Keep in mind that if you do use health insurance for any part of your procedure, there may be medical paperwork that is emailed to you or mailed to the address on file.

There are many reasons why people have their abortion in a hospital. Keep in mind that, although it may seem weird, people working in hospitals often do not know how much their appointments and procedures cost or the details of paying for care with or without insurance. If the person you are speaking to doesn’t have an answer for you about your insurance, the cost of your care, or any other questions you have, ask them to confirm with someone else in the hospital who will have an answer.

Paying for hospital care WITHOUT insurance:

If you have been told by a clinic that you need to get your care in a hospital, and you don’t have insurance or the hospital does not take your insurance, you still have options!

• Abortion funds for complex care
  The Chicago Abortion Fund, for example, is one of many organizations that connects people with complex needs to hospital care through their CARLA support line.

• “Self-pay” procedures
  If the hospital does not take your insurance, or if you do not have insurance, you can ask if your procedure can be processed as a “self-pay.” “Self-pay” prices are set beforehand, and are less expensive than the prices that the hospital charges to insurance companies.

• Find out the price!
  If the hospital doesn’t take your insurance, or if they do not have self-pay prices set up, or even if it’s taking a long time to get answers, you may be tempted to say that you will just pay the bill later, whatever it is. This can be incredibly expensive and so we strongly encourage you to figure out what the price will be ahead of time.

• Depending on the Situation, Consider a Clinic
  If the hospital is unable to work with you and your insurance will not cover the abortion, consider whether you could be seen in a clinic. Clinic providers are excellent, board certified specialists. And if their care allows you to avoid debt, it may be worth considering over a hospital.

Paying for hospital care WITH insurance:

• Does the hospital take your insurance?
  If you are scheduling your abortion in a hospital setting, and if you have insurance, ask if the hospital takes your insurance, and if any “prior-authorization” is necessary. Make sure to ask whether they accept your exact insurance plan.

• Do you need “prior-authorization” for out-of-state care?
  Most insurance plans are specific to the state you live in. Sometimes your insurance company will cover out-of-state care but they might require that you get prior-authorization to do this.

• “Prior authorization” means the hospital must ask your insurance company for approval before your procedure. If your insurance requires this approval and it isn’t done ahead of time, your insurance may not pay for the procedure.

If you have out-of-state insurance, ask the person scheduling your appointment to check two things:

1. Whether “prior-authorization” is required

2. Whether the hospital has already received that approval