State Summary

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Total Estimated Cost

 

Total estimated costs by state was calculated using average driving costs, average cost of procedure, and assumed an overnight stay in a hotel if the one way drive was longer than four hours. In cases where states required mandatory waiting periods, if the drive was less than four hours, it was assumed that the driver returned to their home and repeated the trip after the waiting period, rather than a hotel stay.

Cost of an Abortion

Abortions are expensive, and are more expensive the further you have to go to access care. The figure below includes the average cost of: the procedure (assuming no insurance coverage); lost wages; travel costs; and overnight stays (if required due to distance or the nature of the procedure) for citizens of Washington, Wyoming, and Idaho.

The vast majority of abortion (97.2%)1 occur at less than 13 weeks gestation. Abortions at this time period averaged $870 for citizens of Washington, and $990 for citizens of Wyoming and Idaho.

 

Abortion procedures from 13 weeks to 21 weeks cost more than double a 13 week abortion procedure in all three states. Procedures during this gestational period account for a relatively small number of abortions (6.2%)[1]. However, if required, these procedures are drastically more expensive to a woman, more than double the cost in every state.

 

If a person seeking an abortion does not have access to public transit, the costs increase for every state. This is for women that have access to public transportation. The majority of cities in Wyoming and Idaho have no access to public transportation.
If a woman does have access to a car, citizens of Washington have less than half the required one-way drive time to access care than citizens of Wyoming or Idaho.
Explore the Data

1. Katherine Kortsmit, PhD et.al., Abortion Surveillance – United States, 2019, 70(9); 1-29 (November 26, 2021). https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/ss/ss7009a1.htm

Citations for Graphics:

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census Redistricting (Public Law 94-17 1) Summary File, (2020).
  2. AbortionFinder.org, https://www.abortionfinder.org (Last visited May 19, 2022).
  3. Available Public Transportation, Travel Times: Google Maps, www.maps.google.com (Last visited on May 19, 2022).
  4. http://www.portlandfacts.com/cost_of_transit_%26_cars.html (Last visited on May 19, 2022).
  5. Guttmacher Institute, Insurance Coverage, (2022). https://www.guttmacher.org/united-states/abortion/insurance-coverage (Last visited on May 19, 2022).
  6. Planned Parenthood, How Much Does An Abortion Cost, (April 29, 2022). https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/ask-experts/how-much-does-an-abortion-cost
  7. Washington State Department of Health, Abortion, https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortion (Last visited on May 19, 2022).
  8. Business Travel News, Hotel Rates Projected to Lead Price Rises in 2022 and Beyond, (November 17, 2021). https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Procurement/Hotel-Rates-Projected-to-Lead-Price-Rises-in-2022-and-Beyond
  9. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Women’s Earnings in Washington -2020, (October 7, 2021). https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/womensearnings_washington.htm