Current:Home > NewsSome states are restricting abortion. Others are spending millions to fund it -FinTechWorld
Some states are restricting abortion. Others are spending millions to fund it
View
Date:2025-04-12 22:53:53
As a growing number of states restrict abortion, other states and some local municipalities are substantially increasing funding for abortion and other reproductive health services.
At least 15 municipal and six state governments allocated nearly $208 million to pay for contraception, abortion and support services for people seeking abortions in the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, according to data provided to NPR by the National Institute for Reproductive Health.
That's far more than the roughly $55 million spent on similar services in the three years before the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision last June allowed abortion restrictions to take effect around the country.
"We've seen unrivaled action across states and localities at the municipal level to bolster access to reproductive healthcare, and especially around abortion, as a really immediate and direct response," NIRH President Andrea Miller said in an interview with NPR.
Money has been set aside for a variety of purposes, Miller said, including allocations for abortion funds and support networks that provide financial assistance to people struggling to pay for procedures, travel and other associated costs. California, for example, set aside $20 million to help out-of-state patients travel there for abortions; Chicago's public health department allocated $500,000 to be split between Planned Parenthood of Illinois and the Chicago Abortion Fund.
Miller said she hopes to see those kinds of organizations become less dependent on private donations.
"We're hearing from abortion funds and practical support networks that the requests they're getting are astronomical, and they are so far beyond what they've ever been before," she said.
During a recent call with reporters, Oriaku Njoku, executive director of the National Network of Abortion Funds, said organizations in the network are "fielding more calls than ever and supporting more people than ever" while facing increasingly complex logistics as more states enact restrictions. Njoku said more callers report they are delaying abortions because of difficulties with access.
In addition to helping patients travel and pay for abortion, some states have funded efforts to expand their capacity to provide abortions for people traveling from states with bans.
"Those are states where abortion remains legal and largely accessible, and where the demand is increasing exponentially," Miller said.
New Mexico's Democratic governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, has pledged $10 million to help build a new reproductive health clinic in the state. New Jersey is providing $6 million in state loans to expand women's health clinics.
NIRH also tracks legislation designed to protect patients who travel across state lines, healthcare providers and others who assist them, from potential lawsuits or prosecution. Since the Dobbs decision, at least 11 states have passed what are known as "shield laws" designed to guard against out-of-state legal action.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Krispy Kreme unveils new doughnut collection for Father's Day: See new flavors
- NBA Finals Game 3 Celtics vs. Mavericks: Predictions, betting odds
- American investor Martin Shkreli accused of copying and sharing one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- These July 4th-Inspired Items Will Make You Say U-S-A!
- Common releases new album tracklist, including feature from girlfriend Jennifer Hudson
- Nicki Minaj Shares Teary Video About Beautiful Baby Boy That Sparks Concern From Fans
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- Russian military exercises in the Caribbean: Here's what to expect
Ranking
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- When is the debt ceiling deadline? What happens when the US reaches the limit
- As the Country Heats Up, ERs May See an Influx of Young Patients Struggling With Mental Health
- Reported birth of rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone park fulfills Lakota prophecy
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- American teen falls more than 300 feet to her death while hiking in Switzerland
- Man charged after firing gun at birthday party, shooting at sheriff's helicopter, prosecutors say
- Mentally ill man charged in Colorado Planned Parenthood shooting can be forcibly medicated
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Michael Strahan's daughter Isabella finishes chemo treatment
Bankruptcy case of Deion Sanders' son Shilo comes down to these two things: What to know
These July 4th-Inspired Items Will Make You Say U-S-A!
The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
Joey Chestnut will not compete at 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Billy Ray Cyrus files for divorce from wife Firerose after 8 months of marriage
Chace Crawford Confirms He’s Hooked Up With One of His Gossip Girl Co-Stars
Like
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- John McEnroe angers fans with comments about French Open winner Iga Swiatek — and confuses others with goodbye message
- Céline Dion Was Taking Up to 90-Milligram Doses of Valium Amid Battle With Stiff-Person Syndrome