How Much Are Abortions
Not everyone may agree with the idea of abortions. But for some, this may be an acceptable idea for various reasons such as inability to raise a baby at the moment either physically or financially, pregnancy due to rape or incest, health problems, and the like. Whatever your reasons are, it must be noted that abortion is legal in the United States and can be safely done with the help of the right people. But, abortions do not come for free. Read on and find out how much does it cost to have an abortion today.
Typical Cost Of Abortions
The typical cost of abortions depends on the type of procedure being used. The price range of surgical abortions is $350 to $1,000.
The price range of medication abortion is $350 to $650.
For surgical abortions, this includes the cost of the evaluation and medical procedure (aspiration or dilation and evacuation) with facility fees, anesthesia, and physician’s fee. On the other hand, medication or medical abortion prices include initial consultation, abortion pills, and post-abortion evaluation.
Factors That Affect The Price Of Abortions
Stage of pregnancy. More often than not, the earlier you get an abortion, the cheaper the procedure will be. A surgical or medical abortion at 10 weeks of pregnancy can cost $320 to $500. At 16 weeks, a surgical abortion can already range from $500 to $700 and at 20 weeks or later, the surgical abortion can already be at $1,000 or more. The increasing cost of abortions as the stage of pregnancy becomes older can be explained by the fact that the procedure becomes more complicated.
Type of abortion. It is already clear above that when calculating how much does it cost to get an abortion, surgical abortions can be way more expensive as compared to medical abortion. This is true because unlike medical abortion, the surgical option requires a lot of work and can even be risky in the part of the patient.
Insurance. A lot of insurance plans cover the cost of abortion. Hence, an insured woman undergoing abortion may pay $15 to $150 for the overall cost of abortion.
Facility. If an abortion is done in a clinic, the price is usually 20 to 30 percent less than the price of an abortion in a hospital. Moreover, if you require a longer hospital stay as part of the abortion, the cost can definitely go higher.
Additional Costs
For surgical abortions, the price usually includes a local anesthesia. In any case you want twilight anesthesia as your form of relief, this may cost you a hundred dollars extra.
Pain medications and antibiotics to be taken after the abortion are also extra. For some clinics offering oral Valium, this may cost around $200.
Post-abortion tests such as blood tests may be required to ensure all pregnancy tissues have been removed from the patient's uterus. This is necessary for infection prevention. However, this is usually an extra fee of $100.
Tips Before You Decide To Have An Abortion
Understand that even though abortion can be done safely, there are still risks of complications that can arise. Some complications in connection with getting an abortion are infection, perforation of the uterus, embolisms, bleeding, and even death. All these complications may be prevented if the abortion is done correctly. Hence, it is important for you to find a qualified, certified, licensed, and experienced professional to do this for you.
The National Abortion Federation can help you look for member clinics that offer abortions across the United States.
As much as possible, decide to get the abortion early on. Aside from being cheaper, there are lesser risks of infection, organ damage, and death when abortion is done early in the pregnancy stage.
Do not consider doing the abortion illegally such as going to a home of someone who considers himself or herself as an abortionist. It is safer to go to licensed and experienced professionals, even if it means more expenses in your part.
Talk with your health insurance provider about the coverage of abortions.
There are several organizations that can help fund abortions for low-income women. You may check with your local health office regarding opportunities like this. You can also talk with your gynecologist about this.