PAYING FOR YOUR CARE
There are a number of government sponsored programs that provide health insurance coverage for family planning and pregnancy related services including: Medicaid, the Family Planning Benefit Program, the Family Planning Extension Program, the Prenatal Care Assistance Program, Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus. These programs are open to applicants based upon their income and family size.
Private Insurance
Most private health insurers in New York State offer policies that cover abortion services. For more information about whether your specific plan covers abortion services, refer to your benefits package or call your insurance company directly.
DOES YOUR PRIVATE INSURANCE COVER CONTRACEPTIVES?
On January 1, 2003, New York State's Women's Health and Wellness Act went into effect. This law mandates that health insurance plans issued in New York State that provide coverage for prescription drugs must also include coverage for prescription contraceptives. To find out more about the coverage your insurance plan provides, call their customer service number to ask for more details.
Medicaid
Medicaid provides medical coverage for adults and children who meet certain eligibility requirements. Medicaid covers prenatal care, abortion, and family planning services, including emergency contraception and birth control from any Medicaid provider without a referral from your doctor. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can quickly and temporarily be enrolled in Medicaid to cover the cost of an abortion procedure. Most counselors at a health care clinic can help arrange this coverage for you. Citizenship or legal immigration status is required for eligibility. However, pregnant women and adolescents may enroll in Medicaid for Pregnant Women and Teens regardless of citizenship/immigration status.
If You Do Not Have Health Insurance
If you are uninsured and do not qualify for public health insurance, additional resources may be available. Abortion funds provide assistance for women facing financial barriers to abortion. There are over 100 abortion funds across the country, and the National Network of Abortion Funds provides a helpful map and list by state, online at http://www.fundabortionnow.org/explore/by_state. In New York State there are several abortion funds that can provide assistance.
- The New York Abortion Access Fund is a volunteer-run non-profit that provides financial assistance to low-income women who cannot afford to pay for an abortion. For more information, go to http://www.nyaaf.org.
- The Haven Coalition is a network of volunteers who open their homes to low-income women forced to travel to New York City for second-trimester abortions. For more information, call 917-371-2035 or email havencoalition@gmail.com.
- Several abortion providers have funds or offer sliding scale fees to help women pay for the procedure. Click here to see the list of abortion providers to find out more information.
Your family planning or prenatal care services may be covered even if you do not qualify for general Medicaid Benefits through the following programs:
- The Family Planning Benefit Program (FPBP) covers family planning services, excluding abortion and prenatal care, for people who cannot afford them but whose incomes are too high for regular Medicaid or Family Health Plus. Citizenship or legal immigration status is required for eligibility.
- The Family Planning Extension Program (FPEP) extends coverage for family planning services, excluding abortion and prenatal care, for women and adolescents who lose their Medicaid eligibility after the end of their pregnancy. The family planning coverage can extend up to two years after a woman completes her pregnancy. Women and adolescents are eligible regardless of their citizenship/immigration status.
- The Prenatal Care Assistance Program (PCAP) provides prenatal, labor and delivery, and post-partum services to pregnant women who would not otherwise be eligible for Medicaid benefits. Women and adolescents are eligible regardless of their citizenship/immigration status.
Child Health Plus
Child Health Plus provides free or low-cost health care to children and young adults up to the age of 19 who meet certain income requirements. Child Health Plus offers comprehensive healthcare benefits, including prenatal care, birth control and abortion services. In New York State, minors (those under the age of 18) do not need their parents’ permission to obtain birth control and abortion services. With Child Health Plus, children and young adults are eligible regardless of their citizenship/immigration status.
Family Health Plus
Family Health Plus provides low-cost health care coverage to adults, between the ages of 19 and 64, who do not have health insurance (either on their own or through their employers), and whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid. This program offers comprehensive health care benefits, including birth control, abortion or prenatal care services. Citizenship or legal immigration status is required for eligibility.
For more information about Programs listed above:
- Check the New York State Department of Health website at www.health.state.ny.us.
- If you live within the five boroughs of New York City, call 1-877-472-8411 or 311.
- If you live outside New York City, you can call your local Department of Social Services.
They are listed by county online: http://www.health.state.ny.us/health_care/medicaid/ldss.htm
- For general questions call the Medicaid helpline at 1-800-541-2831.
CATHOLIC-RUN MEDICAID MANAGED CARE PLANS
Most people in New York who enroll in Medicaid, Family Health Plus, or Child Health Plus must choose a Managed Care Plan through which they will obtain health care. The Managed Care Plan you join makes a difference! One Managed Care plan in New York State does not directly cover birth control and abortion services for their members. Fidelis Care excludes birth control and abortion because they follow Directives issued by the nation’s Catholic Bishops. If you are enrolled in Fidelis Care, you are still entitled to obtain these services! If you are on Medicaid or Family Health Plus, you can obtain these services from any clinic or doctor that accepts Medicaid and offers these services by using your Medicaid and/or health plan ID card. By law, you are entitled to receive birth control and abortion services from any Medicaid provider at no extra cost and without needing a referral. If you are enrolled in Child Health Plus, you must obtain these services from a specific Managed Care provider: HealthFirst (in NYC), Affinity (in Long Island, Westchester, and Rockland), or GHI (in the rest of NY State).
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act)
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act), signed into law by President Obama in March 2010, will allow millions of uninsured Americans to gain health care coverage through the expansion of Medicaid and the establishment of state health insurance exchanges, where individuals and small businesses can purchase health insurance with the help of federal subsidies beginning in 2014.
Under the Affordable Care Act, states have the authority to pass laws that prohibit insurance plans offered on the exchange from including coverage for abortion services. In the absence of such a law, however, health plans on the exchanges can decide whether or not to cover abortion services. Laws banning abortion coverage in private insurance run counter to the prevailing insurance industry standard, as studies show that a majority of insurance plans cover abortion.
Currently, there are no restrictions in New York state law regarding coverage for abortion services in private insurance, and most private insurance companies do offer such coverage. Check with your insurance company to learn more about their abortion coverage policies.
For more information about how health reform affects you, visit http://www.healthcare.gov/. | 
