An abortion in the United States typically costs between $400 and $800 in the first trimester, though the final price depends on the type of procedure, how far along the pregnancy is, where you live, and whether you have insurance coverage. For many people, the medical bill is only part of the total cost. Travel, lodging, lost wages, and childcare can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars, especially if you live in a state with restrictions.
Cost of Medication Abortion
Medication abortion (the abortion pill) can cost up to around $800, but most people pay less. At Planned Parenthood, the average price is about $580. Telehealth appointments, where pills are prescribed online and mailed to you, run around $470 including the medications and a follow-up visit. That’s roughly the same as an in-person medication abortion at some clinics, though prices vary by provider and location.
Medication abortion is available through roughly 11 weeks of pregnancy. The cost usually covers the consultation, the two medications you’ll take, and any necessary lab work or ultrasound. Some clinics bundle everything into one price; others may bill separately for tests, so it’s worth asking upfront what’s included.
Cost of Procedural Abortion
A procedural (surgical) abortion in the first trimester generally falls in a similar range to medication abortion, roughly $600 to $800 at most clinics. The price climbs as the pregnancy progresses. Early in the second trimester, the average cost at Planned Parenthood is about $715. Later in the second trimester, that jumps to between $1,500 and $2,000.
The reason costs rise with gestational age is straightforward: later procedures require more time, more specialized training, sedation or anesthesia, and sometimes a two-day process. If you’re past 20 weeks, the number of providers who offer care drops significantly, which can mean traveling farther and paying more.
How Insurance Affects What You Pay
Whether insurance covers abortion depends on where you live and what kind of plan you have. Federal law (the Hyde Amendment) blocks Medicaid from covering abortion except in cases of life endangerment, rape, or incest. However, 21 states plus Washington, D.C., use their own state funds to cover all or most abortions through Medicaid. Those states are Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
For private insurance, 13 states require all state-regulated health plans, including marketplace plans, to cover abortion: California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Outside those states, coverage varies widely by employer and plan. Some private plans cover it fully, some partially, and some not at all. If you’re unsure, call the number on your insurance card and ask specifically about abortion coverage, because it’s not always listed clearly in benefits summaries.
A notable trend since 2022: the share of patients reporting zero out-of-pocket medical costs has grown, rising from about 10% in the months right after state bans took effect to around 40% by early 2024. That shift likely reflects expanded financial assistance from abortion funds, clinic sliding-scale policies, and some employers adding travel reimbursement benefits.
The Hidden Costs: Travel, Lodging, and Time Off
For people living in states that have banned or heavily restricted abortion, the medical fee is often the smaller portion of total expenses. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health tracked how costs changed for people affected by state bans. Before a ban, average travel costs were $179. After a ban forced patients to seek care out of state, that average more than doubled to $372. Mean travel time rose from under 3 hours to over 11 hours.
Overnight stays tell an even sharper story. Before state bans, only about 5% of patients needed to stay overnight. After bans pushed patients out of state, 58% did. By early 2024, that figure had risen to 74%, and more than a quarter of patients were flying rather than driving. Each of those trips means airfare or gas, a hotel room, meals, and possibly childcare for existing children. Some patients need a companion to drive them home after sedation, doubling certain costs.
Time away from work adds up too. A two-day absence from an hourly job paying $15 an hour means $240 in lost wages before you’ve spent anything on the procedure itself. Some employers have responded by offering travel reimbursement. Dick’s Sporting Goods, for instance, covers up to $4,000 for travel to the nearest location where abortion is legal. But most workers don’t have access to benefits like that.
Delays Can Raise the Total Price
One of the less obvious ways costs compound is through delay. When people need extra time to save money, arrange travel, or find a clinic that can see them, the pregnancy advances, and later procedures cost more. Among people affected by state bans, 66% reported delays related to raising money or arranging travel, compared with 40% before the ban. Average pregnancy duration at the time of the abortion rose from 7.7 weeks to 8.8 weeks, and the share of abortions happening at 13 weeks or later nearly doubled from 8% to 17%.
That shift matters financially. Someone who might have paid $580 for a medication abortion at 7 weeks could end up needing a $715 procedural abortion at 14 weeks, or a $1,500-plus procedure even later, simply because logistics pushed the timeline back. The delay itself becomes a cost multiplier.
Financial Assistance Options
Abortion funds exist in nearly every state and can help cover some or all of the cost. The National Network of Abortion Funds connects patients with local organizations that provide direct financial help. Some funds pay the clinic directly, while others help with travel, lodging, or childcare. Grant amounts vary by fund and by how much demand they’re handling, so it’s best to contact them as early as possible since many have waitlists or limited budgets.
Clinics themselves often offer sliding-scale fees based on income. Planned Parenthood and independent clinics may reduce costs for uninsured patients or those paying out of pocket. Some accept payment plans. If you’re calling a clinic to schedule, ask about financial assistance at the same time you ask about availability, because the process for applying to funds can take a few days and you don’t want that to cause the kind of delay that pushes costs higher.