Abortion in Kentucky

Abortion pills by mail (telehealth)

Telehealth providers that ship abortion pills into Kentucky, from the clinic database:

• A Safe ChoiceShips abortion pills by mail into Kentucky
• AbuzzShips abortion pills by mail into Kentucky
• Aid AccessShips abortion pills by mail into Kentucky
• Cambridge Reproductive Health Consultants – The MAPShips abortion pills by mail into Kentucky
• Choices RisingShips abortion pills by mail into Kentucky
• Her Safe HarborShips abortion pills by mail into Kentucky
• Southern WovenShips abortion pills by mail into Kentucky
• We Take Care of UsShips abortion pills by mail into Kentucky

Protections

• The state's lawmakers have not passed protections for abortion.

Bans

• State law prohibits healthcare professionals inside the state from providing abortions at any point in pregnancy.
• Healthcare professionals in the state may be allowed to provide an abortion after the state's legal limit if it is necessary to save the pregnant person's life.
• Healthcare professionals in the state may be allowed to provide an abortion after the state's legal limit if it is necessary for the pregnant person's physical health (excluding mental health).
• It is a felony for providers to violate the state's restriction on providing an abortion, punishable by imprisonment and fines.
• State law prohibits healthcare professionals inside the state from providing an abortion because of the sex of the pregnancy.
• State law prohibits healthcare professionals inside the state from providing an abortion because of the race of the pregnancy.
• State law prohibits healthcare professionals inside the state from providing an abortion because of a diagnosis of a fetal impairment or disability.
• State law prohibits healthcare professionals inside the state from providing an abortion using a specific method known as Dilation and Extraction (D&X). This is sometimes referred to as a "partial birth" abortion ban, although this term has no clinical definition.
• State law prohibits healthcare professionals inside the state from providing an abortion using a specific method known as Dilation and Evacuation (D&E), which is the method most commonly used in the second trimester.

Barriers

• The state requires a person to wait 24 hours between visits before obtaining an abortion from a provider.
• The state requires a person to make 2 in-person visits before obtaining an abortion from a provider.
• The state requires healthcare professionals to perform an ultrasound, offer the patient an opportunity to view an ultrasound, or offer to perform an ultrasound before they provide an abortion.
• The state requires health care providers to give patients seeking abortion specific information prior to receiving abortion care. This information is often biased and inaccurate, and is intended to discourage abortion.
• The state only allows doctors to provide abortions.

Minors

• State law requires healthcare professionals inside the state to meet certain requirements before providing an abortion to minors below the age of 18.
• Before providing an abortion to a minor inside the state, the state requires an abortion provider to get their parent or guardian's consent.
• The state allows a judge to excuse a minor from having to notify or get consent from their parent or guardian before having an abortion inside the state. This is referred to as "judicial bypass."
• Before providing an abortion to a minor, the state does not require an abortion provider to obtain specific documentation of their parent or guardian's consent or notification.

Telehealth

• The state prohibits healthcare professionals inside the state from providing medication abortion through telehealth.

Insurance

• The state prohibits private insurance plans from covering abortion. Private insurance here refers to non-self-insured plans; self-insured plans are regulated by the federal government and state laws often do not apply to them.
• The state allows private insurance plans to cover abortion only in cases where abortion is necessary to save the pregnant person's life.
• The state prohibits exchange plans from covering abortion. Exchange plans are health insurance plans offered in the state's Health Care Exchange established under the federal Affordable Care Act.
• The state allows exchange insurance plans to cover abortion only in cases where abortion is necessary to save the pregnant person's life.
• Medicaid funds may pay for abortion in the state in cases of rape, incest, or when the pregnant person's life is endangered. This is the federal minimum requirement for Medicaid coverage of abortion.