Telemedicine Abortion Care and Access in California
California lawmakers passed AB 260, which would let doctors prescribe abortion pills through telehealth and mail them out of state. The bill protects providers from penalties, requires insurance coverage, and limits access to prescription records. In an effort to increase access to affordable, safe and convenient healthcare, Wisp, a sexual and reproductive telehealth provider, today introduced its first medical abortion service in California.
Defining Medical Abortion
A medication abortion uses a combination of two pills to induce a miscarriage in order to end a pregnancy. This treatment has been available in the US for over 20 years and the risk of a serious complication is well less than 0.4%. There is no effect on your ability to become pregnant in the future. Further, increased access to medical abortion has been shown to reduce the rate of pregnancy-related death by 7%. A medical abortion uses oral medication to terminate a pregnancy and is less invasive to the patient.
Provider Services and Costs
You can buy an abortion pill online and get it by mail in California. The FDA has approved abortion pills by mail from U.S. based abortion providers for all 50 U.S. states including California. Below are the primary providers offering these services in the state:
- Wisp: Their new medical abortion offering is priced 30% lower than the national average cost of medical abortion at $200 and does not require insurance.
- Aid Access: Online orders cost $150 USD (or less if you cannot afford it), with reliable abortion pill shipping to California in 1-5 days.
Eligibility Requirements
Wisp enables patients to request safe, discreet, and affordable treatment at home. All patients requesting treatment for a medical abortion must meet the following criteria:
- At least 18 years of age: A provider must get your consent in order to prescribe medical abortion treatment. For now, wisp cannot treat anyone under 18.
- Less than 10 weeks pregnant: If you are over 10 weeks pregnant, there may be different options for you depending on the state you live in, but wisp cannot treat you at this time.
- Live in an eligible state: Currently, wisp can only ship medical abortion treatment to California. In order to receive medication in the mail, you will need to provide a shipping address in this state.
The Telehealth Process
To get abortion pills online, you will give some basic medical information about your health and pregnancy to online providers. All information you share is private and protected. After a review of your medical history by US-based doctors, the help desk will email you the next steps. After filling out the questionnaire, a virtual visit with a doctor is scheduled to walk patients through all of the necessary steps. Once treatment is approved by the doctor, meds are delivered to their homes equipped with an at-home treatment guide to answer any questions.
California Abortion Laws and Legal Support
With the overturn of Roe v. Wade by the US Supreme Court in June 2022, abortion laws can be different in each state. In California, abortion is currently legal throughout pregnancy. If you are worried about getting in legal trouble because of abortion restrictions in California, you can talk to a lawyer for free at the Repro Legal Helpline.
Support and Resources for Residents
If you live in California and want someone to talk to about your abortion options, several resources are available:
- All-Options: Someone will talk with you anonymously and help you decide whether or not an abortion is right for you at 1-888-493-0092.
- Reprocare: If you are looking for emotional support when planning or having an abortion with pills, you can call or text 1-833-246-7821.
- Charley the Chatbot: An anonymous and secure chatbot that can help you get more info about your abortion options in California, including how to get abortion pills by mail and where the closest abortion clinic is to you.
- INeedAnA: You can visit this resource to find safe, legal abortion providers near you.