With abortion suspended in Kentucky, two groups work to help women find services elsewhere

Some women seeking abortion just need gas money for what often is an hours-long drive to the nearest clinic.

Others need help with child care, lodging, the cost of an abortion — generally from about $500 to $800 — or simply locating the nearest clinic.

For now, that's outside Kentucky.

Kentucky is now the only state with no abortion services after a new state law took effect April 13 that the only two abortion providers say forced them to suspend services while a legal challenge is pending.

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As a result, two non-profit groups are redoubling efforts to help women with the costs and logistics of obtaining abortions — and for now, have shifted their work to identifying resources in other states.

Shauntrice Martin testifies about the difficulty she faced in receiving an abortion several years ago as Tamarra Wieder, right, Kentucky state director of Planned Parenthood, listens during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Capitol Annex in Frankfort. March 10, 2022
Shauntrice Martin testifies about the difficulty she faced in receiving an abortion several years ago as Tamarra Wieder, right, Kentucky state director of Planned Parenthood, listens during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Capitol Annex in Frankfort. March 10, 2022

"Women of means will always be able to access abortion," said Kate Cunningham, president of A Fund, a Louisville-based group that helps low-income women pay for abortions. "The question is, how do poor women manage to access basic health care?"

Another group, the Kentucky Health Justice Network, helps patients locate the nearest clinic, schedule appointments and assists with expenses ranging from travel to the procedure itself.

It also helps clients navigate the various regulations of each state. For example, most states have waiting periods for abortion after counseling about the procedure; some allow counseling by telehealth and others require in-person visits.

Some states require an in-person visit to a physician by patients seeking medication to terminate an early pregnancy; others, including Illinois, permit telehealth visits.

Kentucky's two abortion providers, Planned Parenthood and EMW Women's Surgical Center, both in Louisville, suspended abortion services April 14, though they are still taking calls from patients and advising them of options.

Both have filed federal lawsuits alleging the new law, House Bill 3, is unconstitutional and asking judges to at least temporarily block it while their challenges are pending.

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Among restrictions: The law bans abortions after 15 weeks; outlaws abortion medication by mail; imposes new restrictions on abortions for girls under 18; requires cremation or burial of fetal remains; and requires creation of an extensive new bureaucracy for regulating abortion medication, which now accounts for about half all pregnancy terminations.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who is charged under the new law with enforcing it, has filed a response in federal court asking the judge not to block the law, saying it "enacts a number of much-needed reforms to laws regulating abortion within the Commonwealth."

Tamarra Wieder spoke as protesters gathered in front of the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort over House Bill 3, which would restrict abortions in the state. Wieder is with the Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocacy group. March 29, 2022
Tamarra Wieder spoke as protesters gathered in front of the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort over House Bill 3, which would restrict abortions in the state. Wieder is with the Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocacy group. March 29, 2022

"All of these reforms are common sense," said Cameron, a Republican.

Opponents say HB 3, a priority of the Republican-controlled General Assembly, is so broad with so many new requirements that is impossible to comply with, forcing them to suspend abortion services. Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat who supports abortions rights, vetoed the bill but lawmakers overrode the veto.

Meanwhile, members of A Fund and KHJN say they are continuing the work they have done for years to help women and girls in Kentucky find access to and pay for abortions, relying on donations and volunteers.

But with abortions suspended at least temporarily in Kentucky, Erin Smith, executive director of KHJN, says its volunteers are helping patients schedule visits elsewhere.

"We are now only able to connect people to other states," she said.

Those states include West Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Appointments depend on where the client lives and how far she is able to travel.

KHJN works through a hotline people may call to get help arranging an abortion.

KHJN last year paid $144,650 to help 1,041 clients with the costs of abortion, according to its annual report on its website. It also spent about $5,600 on gas and the same amount on lodging expenses for clients.

It also, when possible, will provide volunteers to drive clients to appointments, especially low-income women who lack transportation.

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"These kinds of restrictions hit women harder who are already on the margins," said Meg Sasse Stern, support fund director for KHJN.

Cunningham said one effect of the suspension of abortion services in Kentucky, which has received national attention, is a surge in donations.

"A Fund is getting donations from all over the United States," she said. "Word is getting out. People want to help people in Kentucky get care."

A Fund last year received $175,974 in donations and spent $166,517 to help with abortion costs for 1,433 women, according to its website.

A Fund works directly with clinics to help patients who need help with costs, Cunningham said. Patients in need of assistance should check with the clinic to determine what financial help is available, she said.

Here's where to find information on abortion services

The Kentucky Health Justice Network hotline number is 855-576-4576. Its website is kentuckyhealthjusticenetwork.org.

Information about the A Fund is on its website, kyafund.org.

Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri has established a "regional logistics center" for accessing abortion services. The phone number is 618-607-5080.

The National Network of Abortion Funds also provides information on how to find help paying for an abortion on its website, abortionfunds.org.

Reach Deborah Yetter at dyetter@courier-journal.com. Find her on Twitter at @d_yetter. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: With Kentucky abortions suspended, groups help women find services