California and Kansas Expand Abortion Access in Response to National Restrictions
With access to abortion at stake across America, California is preparing to become the nation’s abortion provider. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders have asked a group of reproductive health experts to propose policies to bolster the state’s abortion infrastructure and ready it for more patients. Lawmakers plan to begin debating the ideas when they reconvene in January, as abortion clinics are already girding themselves for a surge in demand.
Projected Surges in Patient Volume
Should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn existing abortion rights set by the landmark Roe v. Wade case, reproductive rights experts predict 26 states will ban the procedure altogether and states with stronger protections for abortion, like California, will draw even more patients. There could be up to a 3,000% increase in people who “may drive to California for abortion care” each year, according to the Guttmacher data. Planned Parenthood clinics in California say they already serve about 7,000 out-of-state patients a year and are expecting a surge of new ones, especially in travel hubs like the Los Angeles area.
Abortion Provider Availability by State (2017 Data)
In 2017, the most recent year for which data is available from Guttmacher, California had more abortion providers than any other state. Of the 862,320 abortions performed in the U.S. that year, about 15% were in California.
| State | Number of Abortion Providers (Hospitals, Clinics, or Offices) |
|---|---|
| California | 419 |
| New York | 252 |
| Florida | 85 |
| Arizona | 11 |
| Nevada | 11 |
Expansion in Kansas to Meet Southern Demand
A new Planned Parenthood clinic in southeast Kansas will be the closest abortion access point for many people in the South and will provide easier access to reproductive health care for southeast Kansans. The center, which opens in Pittsburg, expects to have patients from six states in its first five days — Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. Kansas saw a 369% increase in abortions in 2023, with 69% of patients coming from out of state, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
For the Trust Women Clinic in Wichita, 81% of patients were from out of state, with Texas the most common homestate, followed by Oklahoma. Texas and Oklahoma have total abortion bans, with few exceptions, while other Southern states have six-week abortion bans. On average, pregnant people know they are pregnant after 5.2 weeks for intended pregnancies and 7.2 weeks for unintended pregnancies, the National Library of Medicine found.
Available Medical Services and Timing
The Pittsburg clinic will offer medication abortions for up to 11 weeks of pregnancy, and surgical abortions for 14-15 weeks of pregnancy. “We are doing everything we can to meet the need,” said Planned Parenthood Great Plains president and CEO Emily Wales. “But we’re also not trying to hide the fact that there are far more people calling than we can actually get in.”
Policy Initiatives and Infrastructure Support
In September, Planned Parenthood and groups such as Black Women for Wellness convened the California Future of Abortion Council with backing from influential Democratic leaders including Newsom, state Senate leader Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. The council is focused on:
- Increasing funding for abortion services
- Providing logistical and financial help for women who need to travel
- Increasing the state’s abortion infrastructure
Janet Jacobson, medical director of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, is adding staff members and appointment capacity, hoping to accommodate everyone. “We have to make sure we can still continue to care for all of our California patients,” Jacobson said. “We don’t want them getting squeezed out” of appointments.