Following the historic Supreme Court decision, the state constitution of Alaska, the state’s privacy provision, and many Alaska Supreme Court decisions all maintain that abortion services are still permitted and protected. However, if the constitution is altered, either by an amendment or a constitutional convention, both of which the state’s abortion opponents are actively pursuing, then that situation might change.
The Roe v. Wade decision has had significant national repercussions; around half of states are anticipated to pass bans or other restrictions on the practise before they go into force. Seven states have banned abortion as of Friday, and several more are anticipated to follow suit soon.
Although abortion is still safe and legal in Alaska, there are still barriers to getting the procedure due to cost and other factors.
Here’s a rundown on what abortion access looks like in Alaska.
What are the state’s current regulations around abortion?
Any type of abortion service, including a medical (pill) abortion, must be obtained in person at a facility run by an abortion provider in Alaska. For Alaskans who live in remote areas of the state and must travel far to obtain care, this presents a significant issue.
Beyond that, Alaska has few legal limitations, according to Susan Orlansky, a prominent Anchorage litigator who is currently a cooperating attorney with the Alaska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Alaska has no gestational limits on abortion, although some states have rules and ordinances that specify how far along in a pregnancy a woman can obtain a legal abortion, according to Orlansky.
Abortion limits are decided by individual providers in the absence of state regulation.
In order to access care later in their pregnancies, patients must travel to Seattle, according to Rose O’Hara-Jolley, Alaska State Director with Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates of Alaska, who wrote in an email. Currently, there are no providers in Alaska who will perform an abortion after the second trimester.
What kinds of abortions are available in Alaska?
There are two methods of getting an abortion: a pill or a more complex procedure in a clinic. According to Planned Parenthood, pill abortions are legal during the first 11 weeks of pregnancy.
By taking two prescription medications two days apart, pill abortions, which made up almost a third of all abortions carried out in Alaska last year, quickly end an early pregnancy.
How many abortions are performed in the state?
The Alaska Division of Public Health released a state report detailing the 1,226 abortions that occurred in Alaska in 2021. The most recent year with data that is publicly available is that one, and it is comparable to other recent years.
Nearly 94 percent of the treatments — the great majority — were carried out in the first trimester.
Who’s the typical abortion patient in Alaska?
According to state statistics, the average Alaskan who underwent an abortion last year was single, seeking the operation for the first time (66.2%), Caucasian (53.1%), and in her 20s or 30s (86.4%).
A little over 52.7% of women who had abortions in Alaska last year already had one or more children; of these, 43.8% were eligible for Medicaid while the remaining 39.5% had to pay for the procedure out of pocket. 9.7% of the population were under the age of 19.
About 67.9 percent of abortion patients had completed high school, and 25.1% had completed some form of college education.
Where can Alaskans go to access abortion services?
Alaska’s primary abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, has locations in Juneau, Fairbanks, and Anchorage. O’Hara-Jolley asserted that they think a small number of independent providers deliver abortions but do not make their services widely known.
Can Alaskans under 18 access an abortion without parental consent?
Yes. In Alaska, parents are not required to provide their permission for abortions or be informed that their kid or teen is receiving the procedure. Orlansky noted that the Alaska Supreme Court had ruled that both pregnant children and adults are covered by the state constitution’s privacy guarantee.
Orlansky claims that recent parental permission and notice regulations implemented in Alaska were both overturned by the Alaska Supreme Court.
How much does it cost to get an abortion?
Yes. In Alaska, parents are not required to provide their permission for abortions or be informed that their kid or teen is receiving the procedure. Orlansky noted that the Alaska Supreme Court had ruled that both pregnant children and adults are covered by the state constitution’s privacy guarantee.
Orlansky claims that recent parental permission and notice regulations implemented in Alaska were both overturned by the Alaska Supreme Court.
According to O’Hara-Jolley, the price of an abortion depends on how far along the pregnancy is. In Alaska, an abortion can be obtained for a maximum fee of $1,100.
Abortion is not a service that insurance companies are compelled to cover, and many of them demand that a deductible has been satisfied beforehand.
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