what do we do as the Supreme Court weighs a case that could
strip away federal abortion protections under Roe V wade.
Some states are preparing for a surge of out of state patients Illinois will be the
only one standing in the middle of the country to absorb thousands,
tens of thousands of patients who will now be sort of mass mobilized to be able
to get that care.
A leak of a draft opinion indicated the Supreme Court may overturn roe V wade
meaning abortion laws would fall under state control.
One state could go as far as banning most abortions in that
state and another could continue to protect abortion rights as it stands.
Currently,
healthcare providers are expecting an influx of patients traveling to what some people are calling
abortion islands.
These are states like colorado and Illinois where abortion access is protected but are
surrounded by states with more restrictive laws.
Since the implementation of texas's SB eight,
we have seen a substantial increase,
almost 100 and 50% increase in the patients we are seeing outside of our service area.
It's going to have a huge strain on what is an already fragile abortion access
network.
So how are abortion providers in states like Illinois preparing for the possibility of a
post roe America?
And what does it mean for the surge of patients seeking care at these facilities?
As many as 26 states are expected to ban or restrict access to abortion.
If the Supreme Court overturns roe V wade lawmakers abortion providers
and anti abortion groups have been preparing for this shift for years.
So trigger laws are these pieces of legislation that About
13 states have passed in recent years and they're designed to fairly
quickly and in some cases immediately ban abortion if the Supreme Court overturns roe V
wade.
Meanwhile,
some other states have pre roe V wade bans on abortion that could
potentially take effect as well.
Illinois is among several states that are becoming a refuge for abortion access.
It shares a border with Missouri,
one of the 13 states with trigger laws.
Just as Missouri has been passing legislation to restrict access,
Illinois has been doing the work on the other side to ensure that access to abortion is secure,
not just for its own residents,
but for those who are going to be fleeing from their own states.
Dr Colleen McNicholas is the chief medical officer for the ST louis planned parenthood branch,
which operates medical clinics in both Missouri and Illinois.
The clinics provide a range of reproductive healthcare services,
including abortion care.
In 2019 planned parenthood built a clinic in fairview heights Illinois to meet the
growing needs of out of state patients.
It's located about 15 miles from the Missouri border.
We were strategic about both where we were going to build this facility,
how big we were going to build this facility.
It is right along major highways.
So thinking about how people are going to need to travel,
it's not far from an airport.
So for folks who are going to need to fly,
they would be able to do that Illinois borders five states that could ban or further
restrict abortion if federal protections are overturned,
Missouri and Kentucky have trigger laws in place.
Iowa currently bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and could pass more
restrictions if roe is struck down.
According to the Guttmacher Institute,
a policy group that supports abortion rights and tracks national abortion statistics.
Wisconsin has an unenforced abortion ban that predates row,
but it could go into effect if the decision is overturned and indiana may also take
steps to outlaw the procedure,
according to the Guttmacher Institute.
This will be a public health crisis that this country has not faced before.
Where,
because states will be abdicating their responsibility to basic healthcare,
normal healthcare,
lifesaving healthcare.
We are now going to have to figure out how to mass mobilize Up to 36
million people who are capable of getting pregnant to a very limited
number of states in this country,
after Texas passed legislation last year banning abortion after about six weeks.
Nearby states like Colorado reported a rush of patients.
That has meant that the number of abortions performed in texas has fallen by about half according
to um the state,
but also that means that a lot of people are traveling out of state for abortions in
Illinois.
The uptake in patients from out of state is already happening according to the state's health Department
in 2014.
Nearly 3000 non residents received abortions compared to more than
9600 and 2020 and we are requesting 100 and 51
dollars uh,
from the Chicago abortion fund.
That sounds correct.
This is the regional logistics center at the planned parenthood in Fairview Heights Illinois
here call center employees connect patients with resources to cover transportation
and medical costs tied to abortion services.
All right.
So that leaves us with the balance of $151.
If you live 300 miles away from this last and only remaining abortion clinic,
we're talking about navigating hundreds of miles more than one time
on a very tight time frame where you have to negotiate time off of work
and childcare and reliable transportation for many people.
It just puts abortion out of access.
And so in january,
we stood up what we call our regional logistics center,
which manages those navigation,
tactics and logistics for all of the patients coming to southern Illinois.
If roe is overturned,
planned parenthood says the southern Illinois region could see upwards of 14,000 more
patients each year.
While many patients are from bordering states,
others come from as far away as Texas,
sometimes traveling more than 900 miles as more patients flood a
smaller number of providers.
We are going to see wait times go up.
We are already hearing from folks that the first two or three clinics that they contacted
have three and four and five week weights.
It means if you want medication,
abortion,
you might be pushed out of that particular service line.
Or for some people,
you might be pushed out of abortion care altogether to get ahead of the expected surge.
The Fairview Heights planned parenthood is adding new positions.
It's also considering operating seven days a week up from six With 12 hour
days and night time shifts.
And so we are hiring lots more folks,
not just in our clinic worker space,
but also hiring a lot more case managers.
Those folks who are working in the regional logistics center.
Another way Illinois providers are preparing to meet the surging demand is by
allowing nurse practitioners and other advanced practice clinicians to carry out abortion
procedures.
Along with the Fairview Heights facility planned parenthood built two new abortion
clinics and health centers in Flossmoor and Waukegan near the indiana and Wisconsin
borders.
Antiabortion groups meanwhile,
are working to build more crisis pregnancy resource centers in the Chicago area.
I've spoken with some anti abortion lawmakers or groups and other
states that fear that the accessibility of abortion in the state that borders their
own um kind of threatens the impact of what near a ban on abortion or near
total ban on abortion might mean Illinois right to life is an anti abortion
organization focused on educational outreach.
In a statement,
a spokesperson for the organization said,
we will continue working to make sure that women across Illinois know that help is available
that will benefit them as well as their Children,
both born and unborn.
The Supreme Court's decision on Roe V.
WaDE is expected by the end of june or early july.
As the country awaits a final decision,
abortion providers are mobilizing to expand access to patients.
The biggest challenge is going to be getting folks to that care in a timely
manner.
The other real important aspect of a post roll reality
is making sure that folks who are terminating their pregnancy are free
from criminalization.