JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Telehealth abortion has taken on a vital role in maintaining abortion access in the year since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision. However, little remains known about the landscape of new telehealth-only virtual clinic abortion providers that have expanded.

Objective:

To document the current landscape of telehealth-only virtual clinic abortion providers in the United States one year after the Dobbs decision.

Methods:

We conducted web searches and reviewed abortion directories to identify operational virtual clinics in September 2022 and June 2023. We also described each virtual clinic’s policies, including states served, costs, patient age limits, and pregnancy duration limits.

Results:

We documented 20 virtual clinics providing services in 27 states and Washington, D.C. Most (n=16) offered care to minors, 8 provided care until 10 weeks of pregnancy (n=8), and median costs were $259. Two accepted private insurance and one accepted Medicaid, within select states. Most (n=16) provided some form of financial assistance.

Conclusions:

Virtual clinics have proliferated since the Dobbs decision. Increased access for minors, extended pregnancy duration limits, and expanded insurance and Medicaid acceptance are critical to ensure equitable telehealth abortion access.