Things that Keep Me Up at Night: Healthcare in a Post-Roe World

What does healthcare look like in a post-Roe world? This question keeps me up at night.

I’m fortunate enough to live in a state that protects these rights for women, but I fear what this will mean for so many Americans. It’s only been 34 days since the ruling was made, yet we’ve already started to hear the horror stories - the 10-year-old girl in Ohio who was raped and couldn’t get an abortion in her own state, or the Planned Parenthood locations that are so overwhelmed they are desperately seeking additional providers.

Barack Obama summarized the far-reaching implications well: “The consequences of this decision would be a blow not just to women, but to all of us who believe that in a free society, there are limits to how much the government can encroach on our personal lives.” The Supreme Court’s negligent decision is terrifying at best, and we’re left grappling with the wide-reaching impact it will have.

My job is to provide affordable access to care, and an important part of providing access is providing information. So here you have it - a few implications of the Roe reversal that go far beyond restricting abortion:

• People are being denied access to drugs that treat serious conditions: A lot of drugs have multiple use cases. Methotrexate, for example, can be used for a number of autoimmune conditions (e.g. Crohn’s) and it is used to end ectopic pregnancies. We’re already hearing stories about people being denied methotrexate in states where abortion is illegal, even if the person isn’t pregnant. This shows us that the reversal of Roe could prevent people from accessing the care they need, even outside of reproductive health.?
• Parents-to-be have reason to be concerned about the accessibility of IVF treatments: Seems counterintuitive, but this decision has the potential to make it more difficult for some families to have children. In states where embryos will be given rights, we could see limitations on fertility treatments, like IVF, which will make those treatments even more expensive and inaccessible. It’s a sad reversal of the scientific progress made to help people start and grow their families.?
• We’re facing a future with even fewer OB-GYNs: We’ve been seeing an increasing shortage of OB-GYNs for years, as fewer and fewer people enter the field. Now, we’re hearing of practitioners leaving their states or leaving their practices all together. The Supreme Court has created an environment that is even less friendly to OB-GYNs, saddling them with the burden of figuring out legal complexities related to reproductive care.?
• The burden on patients is increasing: Getting healthcare is hard enough - from finding a provider you trust, to getting prescriptions at a price you can afford, to doing mental gymnastics to understand insurance coverage. Now, add to that the fact that women in many states need a baseline understanding of their legal rights to figure out what care they can or cannot receive and what information they may or may not feel comfortable sharing with a provider. It’s a significant hurdle to receiving quality care.?

This just scratches the surface. Even before Roe was overturned, women’s healthcare was inaccessible to many. And even if you think you aren’t personally impacted by this decision, the reversal of Roe could very well impact you or a loved one in so many ways.?

I share this to urge you to stay engaged on this one. It is incumbent on all of us to fully understand the vast, negative implications of the Supreme Court’s decision so we can act with intention moving forward.?

Check out some resources that can help you or a loved one like ReproductiveRights.gov and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. My team has also been busy keeping our Women’s Health Hub and Reproductive Health Center updated with the latest information. And, if you are in a position to give financial support, I urge you to consider supporting reputable organizations that are on the ground helping women access the care they need. I have supported organizations that will support people seeking abortions across the country, particularly in the 13 states where trigger laws made abortion illegal immediately following the overturn of Roe v Wade.?

A few I have personally supported include (and I welcome your suggestions for others!):?National Network of Abortion Funds, Chelsea’s Fund, Abortion Care for Tennessee, North Dakota Win Abortion Access Fund, Kentucky Health Justice Network, Northwest Abortion Access Fund, Arkansas Abortion Support Network.??