A telemedicine abortion provider is expanding its reproductive care footprint in Illinois to support the state's strained clinics.
Hey Jane, a national virtual abortion provider, now accepts Illinois Medicaid for medication abortion services. The organization is also partnering with Planned Parenthood of Illinois to expand access to the procedure in Illinois.
The collaboration provides Hey Jane patients access to Planned Parenthood's procedural abortion care, and Planned Parenthood of Illinois patients can now connect with Hey Jane for medication abortions.
The two organizations hope the arrangement helps more people in Illinois access reproductive health care by reducing barriers like travel and wait times. Demand for abortion pills spiked in the state and nationwide after Donald Trump's reelection in November and in the years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
"We’re in an abortion access crisis that started well before Election Day, and addressing it requires collaborative work, creative thinking, and strategic partnering," Kiki Freedman, co-founder and CEO of Hey Jane, told the Sun-Times.
Hey Jane is bolstering its presence in Illinois because the state has become a haven for people seeking abortion care, Freedman said. Patients have traveled to Illinois for care from elsewhere in the country, mainly the Midwest and South. The surge has stretched clinics' capacity and contributed to longer wait times for appointments.
"Illinois plays a critical role as a haven for reproductive health care, especially for patients traveling from states with restrictive abortion laws," Freedman said. "The influx of patients has put immense pressure on in-person clinics, so this partnership is designed to alleviate some of that strain."
Directing eligible patients to Hey Jane for medication abortions will free up Planned Parenthood clinics to provide in-person procedural care, she added. Accepting Illinois Medicaid will also help address the rising demand for abortion pills and ensure fewer barriers to accessing reproductive care.
A medication abortion involves taking two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol, over the course of a couple of days. Hey Jane has helped over 70,000 people access reproductive care since the organization was founded in 2021. The provider saw a 93% increase in patients since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.
“We understand how important it is for people to have abortion access," Jennifer Welch, the president of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said in a statement. "This partnership means easier access to the abortion care people need and deserve.”
Nationally, 45% of abortion patients are enrolled in Medicaid, according to Hey Jane, and Illinois Medicaid covers more than 3.4 million residents.
Patients using Hey Jane connect with a licensed medical provider, and the medications are quickly and discreetly mailed to them. For people in Illinois, they can have the meds sent to their Illinois address or they can pick them up at a Planned Parenthood health center.
Planned Parenthood of Illinois and Hey Jane accept private insurance and offer financial assistance for patients who need it. Planned Parenthood also accepts Medicaid and provides no-cost abortion care for qualifying Illinois residents.
