Abortion Bans Fuel a Rise in High-Risk Patients Heading to Illinois Hospitals - KFF Health News

A Missouri woman had to cross the border to Illinois to get an abortion in a hospital.

Since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, there is little concrete data on how many more patients are traveling to other states for abortions at hospitals.

Doctors in abortion havens such as Illinois are stepping up to fill the void.

The number of out-of-state abortions at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago has quadrupled since Roe was overturned.

Medical costs, in addition to travel, are a big obstacle for high-risk patients seeking abortion care at hospitals.

The Chicago Abortion Fund pledged to cover just over $440,000 in hospital bills for 224 patients in the year following Dobbs .

Nonprofit hospitals have financial assistance policies for people who are uninsured or can't afford their medical bills.

The policy at UI Health in Chicago , for example, covers only Illinois residents.

“Whose responsibility is this?” Laursen argues out-of-state Medicaid plans and insurance companies should be picking up the tab.