Reproductive Health Services and Access at Elizabeth Health Center and The Women’s Centers
Elizabeth Health Center-Planned Parenthood is a key provider of reproductive healthcare in New Jersey. The facility is located at 1171 Elizabeth Ave, Elizabeth, NJ 07201. On June 25, 2018, Planned Parenthood relocated their Elizabeth, NJ abortion clinic to this new address location. This Ambulatory Care Facility can be reached via phone at 908-351-5384. According to the Elizabeth Health Center-Planned Parenthood documents, the center offers both surgical and medication procedures.
Clinical Services and Appointment Information
Appointments are available three days a week including Saturdays. Same day and next day appointments can often be accommodated. In addition to the Elizabeth location, services are provided at 157 S. Main Street Phillipsburg, NJ 08865. Our office is located on the first floor of a private brownstone on Main Street in downtown Phillipsburg. Right across the Delaware river from Easton, this location is convenient to northwestern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania.
Abortion Services Offered
- Non-surgical abortion: Available to 12.6 weeks.
- Surgical abortion (one day): Completed in one day to 14 weeks.
- Surgical abortion (multi-day): Surgical abortion patients who are between 14 and 24 weeks pregnant will be completed in two to three days.
As noted in the documentation, a full range of gynecological services is available including emergency contraception, prescriptions for contraception, diaphragm fittings, IUD/IUS placement and tubal occlusion. Please feel free to call us for further information or to make an appointment.
Abortion Service Details by Pregnancy Stage
| Service Type | Gestational Limit | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Non-surgical abortion | To 12.6 weeks | Same day |
| Surgical abortion | To 14 weeks | Completed in one day |
| Surgical abortion | 14 to 24 weeks | Two to three days |
Payment and Insurance Options
The clinics offer several payment options: Cash, Money Order, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. New Jersey Medicaid is accepted, and will usually cover the full cost of a first trimester surgical procedure. Pennsylvania Medicaid will not pay for elective abortion, but we offer a fee reduction of $70 for Pennsylvania Access Cardholders. Insurance is accepted, and patients may call 800-501-9162 with insurance information to verify coverage.
Advocacy and the Legislative Landscape
Elizabeth Barnes, president of The Women’s Centers, recently received the Champion of Choice Award from the National Institute of Reproductive Health. Ms. Barnes has decades of work toward expanding access to abortion. “The right to bodily autonomy is a human right,” she told the Gazette in a recent interview. Since 1972, The Women’s Centers, encompassing clinics in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and beyond, has provided reproductive health care and financial assistance to patients in need.
Legal protections vary by state. In New Jersey, the Governor's Order regarding COVID-19 explicitly exempts abortion services from the ban on non-essential procedures. Governor Murphy stated: “The order provides that it shall not be interpreted in any way to limit access to family planning services, including termination of pregnancies.” However, at the national level, since the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade a year ago, more than 430 bills have been introduced nationwide to restrict access to abortions.
Addressing Obstacles to Care
Ms. Barnes noted that the burden to provide abortion care falls disproportionately on independent clinics. One of the most successful tools of the anti-abortion movement was to silo abortion care as not a part of regular, everyday medical procedures. Furthermore, transportation costs are the among the biggest obstacles patients face. With 12 states effectively banning abortion care and more considering similar legislation, organizations like The Women’s Centers have stepped in to cover bus and air fare to pro-choice states such as Massachusetts.
On Martha's Vineyard, abortion access has long been scarce, but that too appears to be slowly changing. Medical abortions are now available thanks to the advent of telehealth. Starting July 1, the Island reproductive health clinic Health Imperatives will begin offering medical abortions directly via local pharmacies.