Kindly do not take any shots on the abortion issue in this thread, on either side. I’m simply curious as to the general cost for an elective abortion in your area. If it’s different based on procedure, weeks of gestation etc. feel free to post the details.
In the fall of '97 I went with my then-roommate when she had her abortion. It was $329, with the option to spend an extra $50 if you wanted to be put under during the procedure. I remember that explicitly, because her credit card didn’t have enough on it to cover the liquid sleep, and she actually called the cc card company that night bitching about her limit, and going on and on about how she had to have an operation without anesthetic. :rolleyes:
The last time I knew anything about it it was $300.
Mine was about $320 in Vermont, with no anesthetic whatsoever. They gave me two advil right before the procedure, and I threw them up right after. Having heard what other people get (Valium or a drip or being put under) I fell really pissed off now about how they (Planned Parenthood) treated me.
In Knoxville a surgical abortion before 15 weeks ran about $400. Medical abortions were about $550 and had to be done before 49 days I believe.
I had a friend tell me that she couldn’t raise the money in time for an abortion. She lived in Arkansas and said that it was about $1000.
Another friend of mine said that her roommate in Miami paid $800, but went to a private doctor rather than a clinic. I believe that was a surgical abortion.
Most places I’ve heard of won’t give you general anesthesia claiming that it is more dangerous than the procedure itself. The costs cover a local anesthetic, medication to prevent infections, birth control, Rh tests, the procedure, and a follow up appointment to make sure that everything is okay.
When I went with a friend back in 96, it was $1000-1300, I don’t really remember. I think it was going to be a grand, but then they decided she was beyond the first trimester and sent her to another facility up in Ohio, where it was going to be $1300. The second place did another ultrasound and decided she wasn’t as far along as the first place, so it wound up being less. At that point, I wasn’t really paying a whole lot of attention to the numbers, as I had other things on my mind.
Some info from a site I got to via this exact question on Planned Parenthood’s website:
How much does an abortion usually cost?
$0.00
Yay Canada !
From what (little) I know, I believe the prices (if you’re uninsured) look pretty comparable to yours: $400-$1000.
It varies, depending on how far along the pregnancy is, whether you want anasthesia, whether you’re in a hospital or a clinic, etc.
Oh, and I remember my friend saying that every additional week raised the price about $300.
In New Zealand, I’m pretty sure it’s free for all New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. I know they charge non-PR’s, but I don’t know whow much.
Apparantly in Minnesota it’s roughly $400 for a medical abortion.
I only know this because the girlfriend of a friend of mine became pregnant and my friend had to borrow $200 from me to help her pay for it.
In the metro Orlando area it costs $550 at 16 weeks.
A friend of mine got an abortion in Texas (I think she ended up driving to San An for it), and all I know is that it cost almost all of her car payment for that month (for an Eclipse). So, $300-500? I didn’t ask exactly.
Sorry for the hijack, but I thought everyone in Canada is insured? Is non-insured if you are not a citizen, or are there other reasons?
$1,000 in the suburbs, $350 in the city. In either case they use that “twilight” anesthesia (that’s all I have heard it called - I’m sure there’s a real name for it).
Oh - this is in Chicago.
Landed immigrants and citizens are covered (and so most medical care is ‘free’ - you don’t even have to pay and get reimbursed, so most of us have no idea how much insured services cost).
If you’re here on a visa, for instance, or if you’re undocumented, no dice: you have to get private insurance.
But, it seems you can still get an abortion !
My guess would be that they’re talking about conscious sedation, where you’re awake, but you’re ahem feeling no pain, so to speak.
In Rockford, IL, about 1 hour north of Chicago, it’s about $350-450, depending on whether its in the first or 2nd trimester. This was about 4 years ago, so the price may have gone up, but if its really $1000 in the 'burbs, man… That’s a lot.
On another note, I can’t believe anyone has health care that covers abortion. That’s incredible. That doesn’t exist in the states, does it, even with private insurance?
ZJ
My insurance covers abortion (Blue Cross/Blue Shield of TN) I found out because it was on a list of procedures that had to be done as an outpatient unless you had special circumstances that required hospital admission.
Most private insurance covers abortion (After all, it’s cheaper than insuring a dependant for 18 years). Medicaid also covers abortion in certain circumstances.