Abortion Costs Are Increasing as U.S. States Add More Restrictions
(Bloomberg) -- The two most common ways to get an abortion in the U.S. — via pill and a first-trimester procedure — cost patients 13% and 21% more, respectively, in 2020 versus 2017, according to research published this month in the peer-reviewed healthcare journal Health Affairs.
Those upticks outpaced health care inflation rates, the study noted.
By 2020, the average cost rose above $500 for any type of abortion procedure. Pre-pandemic, more than a third of Americans did not have the cash or equivalent to cover a $400 unexpected expense, according to the Federal Reserve. The costs measured in the study also do not account for other financial burdens a patient might have to assume, such as travel, lost wages and childcare, some of which may be rising due to new state restrictions.
Read more: How the Texas Abortion Law Is Driving Up Costs for Women
Most people pay out of pocket for abortions for a variety of reasons, including because the Hyde Amendment prevents federal funds like Medicaid from being used for abortion services except in limited circumstances, and more than 30 states and Washington D.C. also ban the use of state Medicaid funds from being used to fund an abortion. Several states restrict private insurance from covering the procedure as well. At least 100 anti-abortion laws passed at the state level in 2021, including Texas' “heartbeat bill.”
“As abortion provision becomes more regulated, often without any evidence that these regulations improve care, patient charges may continue to increase,” wrote the University of California San Francisco researchers, led by Associate Professor Ushma Upadhyay.
The amount a facility ultimately charges a patient can be influenced by a number of factors, including costs for labor, security, liability insurance and more. Providers may also face an “abortion tax” for everything from their facilities to contractors to legal fees.
Researchers collected data from over 750 facilities and found that the number accepting insurance for the procedures decreased from 89% to 80% in the same time period.
“The presence of restrictions on the use of insurance perpetuates economic and racial health care disparities,” the paper said.
Read more: Abortion Clinics Are Getting Nickel-and-Dimed Out of Business
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
-
Talking Points This Week: Tech Nerves, FII Buying, And A Faraway Banking Shock
The global markets are not shining this Diwali. The exception in the large markets is, India.
-
Midterm Rally Lasted A Day. The Hard Reality Of A Divided US May Last Two Years | Opinion
Between a contested AI boom, a debt ceiling that arrives in 2027 and a president with every incentive to act alone, the next two years may prove more volatile than the first day's rally suggests.
-
Blue Wave Will Derail the AI Trade but Won't Dismantle the AI Era | Unhedged Position
The Democrats' sweep of the US Congress will see politics collide with economic forces both over the long and short term.
-
It's Time To Take The GST Council's Bet On Trust Global
Payment records can prove India's services exports, and clear, proportionate rules can bring foreign digital sellers into the tax net.
-
Opinion | India at 38: From Innovation Overperformer to Innovation Powerhouse
India now has 453 VC-backed deep science startups, 18 of them late-stage, after 117 percent growth since 2020. Laurus Labs, at USD 9.3 billion, is the most valuable deep science company in any middle-income economy outside China.
-
Navigating Energy Crossroads: S Jaishankar's Call For Diversified Supply Chains At G20 Ministerial Meeting
As geopolitical fault lines continue to test maritime trade routes and commodity flows, Jaishankar's message remains pertinent: true economic resilience requires open markets, protected transit lines, and a genuine commitment to multilateral cooperation rather than coercion.
-
Indians Are Travelling, But Not Every Journey Is A Holiday | The Week In Whys
Pilgrims, patients and working women are the real travellers, and the system hasn't quite caught up with them.
-
Getting To Work Costs Women More | The Reason Why
It is not just about women paying more than men. It is about women paying much more in cities than in villages.
-
AI Bias In Investing Cannot Be Eliminated, But It Can Be Governed
Framing is a particularly important example as identical financial information presented in terms of gains rather than losses can lead an LLM to reach a different assessment.
