Planned Parenthood to Restart Regular Abortion Appointments in Columbia and Kansas City

Two of Missouri’s nine Planned Parenthood clinics are poised to start performing regularly-scheduled surgical abortions next week, though clinic leadership says access to medication abortions is in the hands of the state. Only surgical abortions will be offered initially as the clinics await state approval to restart medication abortions.

Resumption of Surgical Services

The first elective abortion to take place in Columbia since 2018 is scheduled for Monday. Nearly seven years ago, the clinic in central Missouri stopped seeing abortion patients after a new law required abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. Soon, appointments will be available at least one day a week.

The Kansas City clinic, located 125 miles west on Interstate 70, performed the first elective abortion in nearly three years in Missouri on Feb. 15, and no other patients have undergone the procedure since. But beginning Wednesday, the clinic will begin seeing patients for regularly-scheduled surgical abortions at least one day a week. Initially, they are scheduling patients up until 12 weeks in pregnancy, but Wales said they intend to expand the gestational age as they figure out scheduling. Regarding patient care, the clinic also hopes to expand the pain management offered for surgical abortions, and initially, they plan to offer patients Valium and local anesthetic.

Legal and Constitutional Context

Two weeks ago, Jackson County judge Jerri Zhang struck down the final few regulations for Missouri abortion providers, calling them “unnecessary” and “discriminatory,” opening the door for abortions to resume. The regulations run afoul of the constitutional amendment granting the right to abortion, which voters passed in November as Amendment 3. Among these now defunct regulations is a requirement that abortion clinics submit a complication plan for medication abortions.

While Zhang blocked the regulations connected to the complication plan, the statute itself remains. Emily Wales, president and CEO with Planned Parenthood Great Plains, explained that "we’re in uncharted territory here, because we don’t have regulations that tie to the statute, because they’re blocked."

Service Availability Summary

• Columbia Clinic: Surgical abortions resume Monday; appointments at least one day a week.
• Kansas City Clinic: Surgical abortions resume Wednesday; appointments at least one day a week.
• Gestational Limit: Procedures initially offered up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
• Medication Abortions: Currently pending state approval of complication plans.

Status of Medication Abortions

In 2023, 63% of abortions in the United States took place using medication rather than surgical procedures, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Planned Parenthood submitted a complication plan to the state last week, but there has been no indication as to how long it will take to review the plans. Until that approval arrives, medication abortions cannot begin. Wales said Planned Parenthood’s clinics in Kansas City and Columbia are stocked with abortion medication and ready to administer it as soon as the state allows.

Guidance for Finding Safe Care

Step 1 is finding a clinic or provider that is pre-screened, safe, legit, and right for you. Rest assured the vast majority of clinics are safe and clean, and will provide high-quality medical care. To protect yourself, it is important to follow these tips:

• Verify the Provider: Don’t trust ads in the phone book or on the internet; instead, get a referral from someone you trust or use verified directories like the National Abortion Federation.
• Ask Direct Questions: Call the clinic and ask if they provide abortions; avoid centers that refuse to give a straightforward answer.
• Identify Fake Clinics: There are some places out there that call themselves “clinics” but don’t actually perform abortions. These “Crisis Pregnancy Centers” are anti-abortion and they will try to convince you not to have an abortion, often by giving you false, medically inaccurate information.