Wait times at Colorado abortion clinics hit 2 weeks as out-of-state patients strain system

Patients looking for an abortion appointment in Colorado should expect longer wait times due to surging demand, local providers and researchers say. Waits are hovering around two weeks for most clinics — up from just seven days earlier this year, according to a recent survey of providers conducted by researchers at Middlebury College. Out-of-state patient demand is the main driver behind the jump, as demand has only grown now that Roe has been reversed and no providers remain in Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma.

The Impact of State Bans and Regional Strain

Colorado has a higher average wait time due to its broad legal protections and proximity to a large number of states that have restricted the procedure. This strain is likely to grow even more if other western states including Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming begin enforcing bans, as is widely expected. The data suggests that as more state bans go into effect, people who need to travel to a different state for care may have more trouble getting appointments at all. That also means fewer slots are available for patients who currently live in states like Colorado, where the procedure is protected by state law.

The following data highlights the current pressure on the medical system:

• Median wait time before overturning Roe v. Wade: Around five days.
• Current wait time in Colorado: Approximately 14 days.
• Appointment request increase: 83 percent jump over the past month at Just the Pill’s mobile clinic.
• Clinic availability: Of 19 clinics contacted, three temporarily paused scheduling and one consolidated operations.

Logistical and Medical Challenges for Patients

Gina Martinez-Valentin, director of the Colorado Doula Project, said “People are really struggling to not have to wait weeks to get the care they need.” Now they’re going even farther to Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Durango just to get an appointment. Those longer trips are often more expensive and stressful for patients who may be traveling via plane or long distance bus for the first time in their lives. Longer wait times also mean that more abortions may happen at later stages of gestation, which are often more medically complex and expensive.

Clinical Prioritization and Capacity

For some providers, the spike in demand means they have had to make tough choices about which patients to see first. Dr. Rebecca Cohen, medical director of the Comprehensive Women’s Health Center in Denver, said her office has started prioritizing people at later stages of pregnancy and those with complex medical or social needs.

Management of Appointment Windows:

Patients who are under 10 weeks (the federal legal cutoff for medication abortions) are asked to wait longer to accommodate patients closer to the clinic’s cutoff for procedural abortions, which is 23 weeks and 6 days. Due to longer wait times, some patients miss that window and have to cancel their appointments altogether. Providers are currently working to increase first trimester capacity and get people in sooner to ensure Colorado remains a functional island of abortion access.