Telehealth Abortion is 'Revolutionizing' Service in Massachusetts
Telehealth abortion is 'revolutionizing' service in some states, including Mass. In December, the Food and Drug Administration permanently allowed licensed telemedicine providers to prescribe abortion pills, a two-drug regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol which can be used in a patient’s first 9 to 11 weeks of pregnancy. The rule allows patients to receive the pills in the mail to their homes — and, once federal guidelines are in place, potentially at their local pharmacy.
Expanding Access and Overcoming Barriers
Until just a few months ago, anyone seeking an abortion on Martha’s Vineyard would have to leave the island. But that’s changed with a recent expansion of telehealth abortions, which offers a new option to people on the Massachusetts island and others across the country who face barriers to accessing abortion care. Despite the state’s progressive laws on abortion, roughly one in eight women between the ages of 15 and 44 in Massachusetts live in a county without an abortion clinic. This safe option could be especially significant for people who live far away from clinics, including those in Cape Cod and Western Massachusetts.
Communication Manager Rezwana Huq said that since the change in FDA policy, more and more patients are choosing medication abortion via telehealth, especially people who face barriers to access. The decision has expanded the ability to increase access for "Black, Indigenous and other people of color, people with disabilities, people in rural areas, young people, immigrants, and those having difficulty making ends meet."
The Rise of Telehealth Providers
Telehealth providers started cropping up in Massachusetts over the course of 2021 as federal restrictions loosened under President Joe Biden's administration. Below is a timeline of the expansion of these services within the commonwealth:
- January 2021: Residents gained access through Maine Family Planning as part of a national study.
- April 2021: Abortion on Demand started offering telehealth abortions in Massachusetts.
- May 2021: Forward Midwifery began providing services.
- August 2021: Lilith Care entered the Massachusetts market.
- October 2021: Planned Parenthood launched its own program, becoming the only telehealth provider in the state that accepts insurance.
- November 2021: carafem started offering telehealth services.
Increased Demand for Medication Abortion
Providers are already noticing an uptick in patients seeking out medication abortion via telehealth. After the December change in policy, Christie Pitney of Forward Midwifery and Aid Access reported that her patients nearly doubled: from 139 in November to 274 in December. Experts anticipate that access will only expand in states where the political will exists, as more regulations and logistics are figured out at the federal and local levels.