Key TakeawaysNew York City is making medication abortion available in four city-run clinics at no cost to patients.The abortion pills will be accessible to people who live outside of New York, and the clinics will not check patients’ immigration or insurance statuses.Abortion care has become less accessible in much of the U.S. after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last summer.

Key Takeaways

New York City is making medication abortion available in four city-run clinics at no cost to patients.The abortion pills will be accessible to people who live outside of New York, and the clinics will not check patients’ immigration or insurance statuses.Abortion care has become less accessible in much of the U.S. after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last summer.

New York City began providing free abortion pills at city-run clinics last week, becoming the first city in the United States to do so.

The clinics could dispense up to 10,000 abortion pills each year, not including those offered at the city’s 11 public hospitals. Unlike the hospitals, however, the clinics do not require insurance, nor do they ask patients about their immigration status.

Many states have severely limited abortion care access following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturnRoe v. Wade, the landmark case that granted the constitutional right to abortion.

New York City said medication abortion services would be available to anyone who needs them, from in or out of New York City.

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“The Supreme Court, quite frankly, set our nation back in the quality of care that is available to people,” NYC Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said in a statement to Verywell. “But New York City will do everything in its power to defend health and human rights. The services we’ve expanded since the catastrophic Dobbs decision reflect our commitment to lead when our national government falters.”

In August, Mayor Eric Adams signed a $1.2 million maternal and reproductive care package, paving the way for medication abortions to be offered for free at Department of Health clinics.

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The city also runs anabortion access hubthat confidentially connects people seeking abortions to providers.

In light of federal restrictions on abortion care, public health departments have a responsibility to care for people’s reproductive health care, including education about abortion and allowing access to abortion care,Liza Fuentes, DPH, MPH,a senior researcher specializing in reproductive health access at the Guttmacher Institute, told Verywell.

“In a country where there is now no federally protected right to abortion, how are states, municipalities, communities, and departments of health going to step up and ensure access? It’s certainly possible, and this example of New York City is really, I think, a leading example,” Fuentes said.

What Is Medication Abortion?The medications mifepristone and misoprostol together comprise the abortion pills. Medication abortions accounted formore than halfof all U.S. abortions in 2020.

What Is Medication Abortion?

The medications mifepristone and misoprostol together comprise the abortion pills. Medication abortions accounted formore than halfof all U.S. abortions in 2020.

Earlier this month,the FDA allowedcertified pharmacies to dispense the abortion medication mifepristone to people who have a prescription.

People in New York can get an abortion for any reasonup to 24 weeks of pregnancy, or later if the pregnant person’s health is at risk or if the pregnancy will not survive.

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Making medication abortion available at no cost is a key part of the program, Fuentes said. Decreasing cost barriers allows people to access care more quickly, reducing their risk of complications. And it allows those who are young, low-income, or otherwise struggling to pull together the money for abortion services to get the care they need.

New York City also offers services connecting people seeking abortions with financial support for travel and lodging.

“People were traveling to New York state for abortion care pre-Roe,” Fuentes said. “The fact that that probably will be happening now, while unfortunate, it’s heartening that the city has stepped up to be able to meet the need.”

Aboutone in ninepeople who can become pregnant lack health insurance in the U.S. In 2020, 35% of U.S. adults would not be able to pay a medical expense of $400 without borrowing funds.The cost of an abortion procedurecan rangefrom $500 to several thousand dollars, not including the cost of travel, child care, and lodging.

It is also well-documented that Black, brown, and indigenous people are also disadvantaged when seeking abortion care, due in part to financial disadvantages and racism in the health system.

“What often happens is that people spend many days, if not weeks, saving up money, trying to find a way to come up with the resources to cover the cost and it delays their abortion care,” Fuentes said. “The fact that something like cost or an abortion restriction is the cause of people being delayed in their care is problematic and unethical.”

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What This Means For You

2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Federal Reserve.Economic well-being of U.S. households in 2020 - May 2021.Brubaker L, Bibbins-Domingo K.Health care access and reproductive rights.JAMA.2022;328(17):1707–1709. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.19172

2 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Federal Reserve.Economic well-being of U.S. households in 2020 - May 2021.Brubaker L, Bibbins-Domingo K.Health care access and reproductive rights.JAMA.2022;328(17):1707–1709. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.19172

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Federal Reserve.Economic well-being of U.S. households in 2020 - May 2021.Brubaker L, Bibbins-Domingo K.Health care access and reproductive rights.JAMA.2022;328(17):1707–1709. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.19172

Federal Reserve.Economic well-being of U.S. households in 2020 - May 2021.

Brubaker L, Bibbins-Domingo K.Health care access and reproductive rights.JAMA.2022;328(17):1707–1709. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.19172

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