In the wake of the Republican party’s electoral victories in the presidency and the senate, many Georgians are concerned their reproductive rights may be in jeopardy. In 2022, The Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade, removing federal protections on abortion and allowing states to create their own laws for regulating abortion. However, banning abortion outright is not a popular policy position in most of the country – Pew Research polls have found that in 2024, 63% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. In this very election season, 7 states voted to help secure abortion access. Even in Florida, a state that was unable to pass a ballot measure securing abortion access, 57% of voters voted in favor of this measure – just 3% shy of the needed supermajority to allow the measure to pass.
But what about in Georgia? As of October 7th, Georgia will uphold H.B. 481 – a law banning abortions past six weeks of pregnancy with exceptions to allow abortion at up to 20 weeks in the case of medical emergency, futile pregnancy and rape or incest. However, many women do not realize they are pregnant until six weeks or later, and there are issues with what the state considers a ‘medical emergency’ that infamously led to the death of Amber Nicole Thurman. Women finding themselves in need of an abortion in Georgia who are past the sixth week of pregnancy must then travel outside of the state, which can be costly and confusing.
The closest state to Georgia that has less restrictive laws around abortion is North Carolina, which currently bans abortion after twelve weeks of pregnancy, with similar exceptions to Georgia in the case of a medical emergency, rape or incest. The next closest state is Maryland, which does not restrict abortion based on the stage of pregnancy and even has laws protecting patients and providers from investigation by other states, as well as banning protests aimed at patients receiving reproductive care.
Another hurdle for Georgians seeking reproductive care is the cost. Even if a patient is insured, they still may not be covered for an out-of-state procedure depending on their healthcare plan. Generally, Health Maintenance Organization, or HMO, plans do not offer coverage for out-of-network providers, and if a patient’s insurance is provided in the state of Georgia, it is unlikely that they will have coverage in the state of North Carolina or Maryland, meaning they will have to pay out of pocket for the expenses. Preferred Provider Organization, or PPO, plans generally allow for more leeway and cover out-of-network procedures, but are often more expensive. Furthermore, there is no federal law that requires commercial insurance plans such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna or United to cover abortions unless a patient’s life is at risk.
Georgia Medicaid does not cover abortion at all – only in the case of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in danger, and covers abortion out of state only if the mother’s life is in danger. However, some clinics offer discount cards for Medicaid recipients in Georgia. Whatever type of coverage you have, always contact your insurance provider before scheduling a procedure to determine your specific coverage.
Those who are not covered by their insurance or are uninsured will have to pay for the procedure out of pocket. Prices can vary greatly depending on the stage of pregnancy and the necessary procedure. In Georgia, mifepristone, or the abortion pill, can cost up to $575, and more complicated procedures can cost nearly $2,000. However, resources do exist to help patients who can’t afford the cost. Organizations like Access Reproductive Care Southeast can help pay for procedures in Georgia, The Brigid Alliance can help patients from Georgia seek healthcare in other states and can help pay for travel expenses and child care, and sites like abortionfunds.org can help find other discounts and funds that may be available.
