You should always check the cost of abortion before scheduling. Most insurance plans do not cover procedures for someone who is not a dependent (i.e., a spouse or child). Contact your insurance company first to find out what they cover, if anything, for your girlfriend.
Does Health First Colorado Cover Abortion?
Health First Colorado is our state’s Medicaid program. It only covers abortion for the following reasons:
- A life-endangering condition for the woman, and in cases of:
- Rape
- Incest
How Much Does Abortion Cost?
The cost of an abortion varies for many reasons. The length of your girlfriend’s pregnancy determines the type of procedure. If her pregnancy is less than 10 weeks and 6 days (70 days after the first day of her last period), the FDA approves a medication abortion. She may need a surgical procedure if she is farther along.
Medication abortions are usually less expensive than a surgical procedure. Abortion providers have different fees for their services, so you need to check each provider for costs.
What Are the Services Abortion Providers Bill for?
Your girlfriend needs an office visit either in person or through telemedicine. The provider should obtain confirmation of her pregnancy and fetal gestational age (how far along she is in her pregnancy).
She gets confirmation through a pregnancy test, which measures hCG, and an ultrasound, which reveals the length of her pregnancy. Ultrasound also determines if her pregnancy is viable (developing) or if she’s miscarried.
She must have another appointment to confirm the abortion is complete. A risk of every abortion procedure is incomplete abortion. Confirmation of pregnancy termination is through another pregnancy test or ultrasound.
Is Abortion Safe for My Girlfriend?
Like every major medical procedure, abortion has physical risks. Your girlfriend runs the risk of heavy and prolonged bleeding, severe cramps, and infection. If a provider performs a surgical procedure, she risks perforation of her uterus or uterine scarring because of the scraping tools used.
Abortion also has psychological and emotional risks for some women. Make sure your girlfriend talks with her healthcare provider about her mental health too.
How Can the Pregnancy Resource Center Assist Us?
At the Pregnancy Resource Center, we provide free pregnancy testing appointments. Our lab-quality pregnancy tests have a 99% accuracy rate.
If her pregnancy test returns positive, we also provide a free ultrasound. Ultrasound determines how far along she is in her pregnancy, if it’s in a safe location, and if it’s viable or if she has miscarried.
Talk with your girlfriend about setting up an appointment at our Glenwood Springs location or with our mobile medical unit. Get some answers before spending money. We invite both of you to visit.