Pa. abortion providers are bracing for a surge in patients if Roe v. Wade is overturned
Thousands of people from neighboring states may come to Pennsylvania to terminate their pregnancies if a forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision ends a national right to an abortion.
Pennsylvania abortion providers have spent months preparing for a surge of up to 8,500 more out-of-state patients from places that could lose abortion access — hiring more staff, creating patient navigator programs, and pushing fund-raising efforts into overdrive.
Any week now, the court is expected to release a decision that could overturn the landmark abortion rights cases Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey that have guaranteed the right to abortion access for nearly 50 years. In a leaked draft of the majority opinion, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote that “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start.”
Overturning Roe would mean every state decides whether and under what conditions people can obtain an abortion. Neighboring Ohio and West Virginia are among the 26 states that are likely to swiftly ban or severely restrict abortion. This could leave their residents, along with people across large swaths of the South and Midwest, to seek abortions elsewhere.
For many, Pennsylvania would be the closest option. Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania through the 24th week of pregnancy, even though access is limited — only 14 of 67 counties have an abortion provider.
A projected 25% increase in cases here could strain the limited number of clinics, lead to longer wait times for appointments, and tap out financial resources available to help people pay for care, reproductive health organizations warned.
It also could disproportionately hurt people of color, low-income individuals, and those who aren’t able to travel long distances for care.
“Not everyone will receive the care they need,” said Sarah Dixon, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania.
Abortion remains legal in Pennsylvania
For those who can’t afford to travel any further than necessary, Pennsylvania is a promising option — especially compared to states expected to ban most procedures, like Ohio or West Virginia, or in Texas where abortion is already banned once a heartbeat can be detected. But the commonwealth still places many limitations on abortion.
New Jersey is also expecting an increase in patients because its abortion laws are among the least restrictive and best protected. Earlier this year, Gov. Phil Murphy codified the right to abortion. The state does not require a 24-hour wait, extra lab work, or parental notification like Pennsylvania.
Those seeking abortion here face a mandatory consultation with a doctor to hear alternatives, then must wait 24 hours before having the procedure. People under 18 must have parental consent, and everyone must complete lab tests that doctors say are unnecessary for most patients.
“It’s certainly better than some other states,” said Kelly Davis, executive director of New Voices for Reproductive Justice, which advocates for health rights for Black women and girls, and people of all gender expressions in Pennsylvania and Ohio. “But Pennsylvania is not a utopia for reproductive health.”