Access to basic reproductive care will also increase economic security for Wisconsinites who have the freedom to decide when to start a family
September 14, 2023
MADISON, Wis. – With Planned Parenthood’s announcement that they will begin offering abortion care again in the state, Wisconsinites will once again have access to basic reproductive care without the extreme financial burden of traveling out-of-state and spending thousands out-of-pocket to access basic reproductive care.
“No Wisconsinite should face a massive financial burden just to access the basic health care services they need. Today’s announcement from Planned Parenthood is an important step toward restoring reproductive freedom for everyone in our state. Wisconsinites won’t forget that since Roe v. Wade was repealed, Republicans like Congressmen Bryan Steil, Derrick Van Orden, and Tom Tiffany have stood in the way of restoring access,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “Their refusal to protect abortion access at the federal level left Wisconsinites without the care they deserve, or forced them to spend thousands traveling out-of-state to access care that should be available closer to home.”
Data shows those who have had to travel out-of-state for abortion care have been forced to pay up to $10,000, making this option out of reach for many working families. Other studies have shown that those who are denied access to abortion care are more likely to face ongoing financial stress, including unpaid debts and lack of full-time employment. Until access in Wisconsin is restored to the same level as before Roe v. Wade’s repeal, families will continue to face financial burdens.
In addition to making care unavailable to Wisconsinites, the repeal of Roe v. Wade has exacerbated the state’s OB-GYN shortage as residency programs report a decline in enrollment due to the inability of residents to receive training in-state.
Wisconsin’s members of Congress have continued to stand in opposition to reinstating the protections of Roe v. Wade, which would expand access to abortion care in the state. Last year, Congressmen Steil and Tiffany voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have guaranteed abortion access and reproductive freedom at the federal level. Each of these congressmen also voted to ban travel reimbursements for abortion care for servicemembers in states where access was banned, and voted to ban abortion care at VA medical centers across the country. Congressman Van Orden has also been outspoken against abortion access, even comparing abortion to genocide and voting for a bill that takes away families’ freedom to make their own medical decisions and threatens to put doctors in prison.
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