What is an abortion fund? How these groups help people pay for abortions in MO and KS
You may be hearing more about “abortion funds” following the June 24 Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade and the swift enactment of Missouri’s trigger ban law. But what is an abortion fund, and what do they do?
We talked to the Kansas Abortion Fund and a Missouri-based patient navigator at Planned Parenthood about what these funds do, how they help patients and who qualifies for assistance.
What is an abortion fund?
Broadly speaking, an abortion fund is a pool of money intended to be spent on abortion procedures and related services for people seeking abortions. These nonprofit, donation-driven groups help patients make and pay for abortion appointments, navigate state laws and restrictions on the procedure, coordinate travel and lodging for patients who need to seek care far from home and more.
The National Network of Abortion Funds lists these locally-based funds that provide money to Missouri and Kansas patients:
Midwest Access Coalition (both states)
Right by You (Missouri)
These are registered nonprofit organizations that are funded through grants and donations..
What services do abortion funds offer?
Every abortion fund is different, and they provide a wide variety of logistical and financial aid related to abortion care. Some funds only provide money for the procedure itself, while others cover related expenses.
“A lot of funds have practical support, which is transportation, gas, childcare, lodging,” said Sandy Brown, the president of the Kansas Abortion Fund. “We do not have practical support—yet. We work in concert with the clinics to fund abortion for people who don’t have the funds to pay for abortion care.”
The Midwest Access Coalition does the inverse—it provides money and support for the logistics related to abortion, not for the procedure itself. Its volunteers drive patients to clinics, offer their homes as a safe place to stay and help pay for costs like food, medication and childcare while patients are receiving their abortions.
Brown told The Star that her small fund has funded 265 abortions so far this year– and a total of over 6,000 since the fund was started in 1996. This year’s patients have ranged in age from 14 to 45 years old, and hail from nearly half of Kansas’ 105 counties.
How can someone access abortion fund assistance around Kansas City?
Every abortion fund operates differently, so the best way to contact them can vary. For example, the Kansas Abortion Fund and the Missouri Abortion Fund only work directly with care providers, not with patients. That means abortion seekers can’t call these funds themselves to get financial assistance, but the clinic performing their abortion can reach out on their behalf.
On the other hand, the Midwest Access Coalition prefers to hear directly from patients needing assistance. This Chicago-based group helps abortion seekers from around the Midwest travel for abortion appointments. You can contact the group by calling 847-750-6224 or emailing support@midwestaccesscoalition.org.
The most reliable way to get abortion fund assistance is to tell your abortion provider that you need help paying for the procedure and other expenses. A patient navigator like Angela Huntington, who works in Missouri coordinating appointments and travel for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, may be able to step in and connect you with the resources you need.
“Abortion funds, they are something that’s kind of like the lifeline for patient navigating,” Huntington said. Through a combination of funding sources, she makes abortions possible for patients who would normally not be able to afford them. “Usually, between all those funds throughout the country, we can make something happen.”
Do you qualify for abortion fund assistance?
Huntington told The Star that anyone who expresses financial hardship to her organization, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, will be connected with resources to help them pay. This is usually through a combination of Planned Parenthood’s own internal funds and outside funds like the ones described above. While clinics may ask some demographic questions like your income bracket, Huntington added that she has never had to turn a patient away due to their inability to pay.
“If somebody calls us and says that they need financial assistance, [or] they can’t travel, we’re going to take their word for it,” she added. “We don’t want to create any more hoops for these patients to jump through. It’s already hard enough.”
Do abortion funds provide financial assistance for self-managed abortions?
A self-managed abortion is one performed by someone using abortion pills on their own without the guidance of a doctor. Financial assistance is more difficult to obtain for this type of abortion, since they don’t involve a clinic that can secure funding on patients’ behalf.
None of the abortion funds serving Kansas and Missouri explicitly offer financial aid for abortion medication. However, some abortion medication providers that serve these states, like Aid Access, have their own financial assistance programs.
Here’s more information about self-managed abortions in Missouri and Kansas.
For more information about getting financial assistance for abortion expenses, visit this page or call the National Abortion Federation Hotline at 800-772-9100. The hotline is open from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. on weekends.
“I just want to make sure people know that they are not trapped in a state where they can’t get out to get help,” Huntington said. “There’s help out there, they’re not alone, and there are people that are able to help.”
Do you have more questions about abortion funds in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
