Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, thousands of Americans have gone to Florida from as far away as Texas to end their pregnancies – and Republicans want to put an end to it.
Florida Republicans, who hold supermajorities in the Legislature, introduced a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy — or two weeks after someone misses their period — last week, and passage is practically certain with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ support.
Abortion providers and Democrats are stunned by the proposed ban and its implications for Floridians and those who go to the Sunshine State particularly for abortions. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, some 4,000 people flew to Florida for the operation, including those from Texas and Alabama, where abortion is illegal at any stage of pregnancy with only a few restricted exceptions where a patient’s life is in danger.
“We’re talking about thousands of patients whose care may be delayed or who will have to make new travel plans,” said Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat who previously worked for Planned Parenthood. “That demonstrates that this is actually a bill to be cruel merely for the sake of being cruel.”
Florida prohibited abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy last year, with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. Yet, the law is still far less stringent than in other Southern states.
Florida’s proposal indicates that the fight over reproductive rights will rage on long after the Supreme Court’s ruling and will be a key element in the 2024 election cycle, particularly as DeSantis considers a presidential run. DeSantis’ support for the bill demonstrates his eagerness to continue wooing the GOP’s right side, regardless of how further limiting abortion will be perceived in a general election.
Nevertheless, Florida’s proposal demonstrates how a network of doctors in the state that has built an infrastructure to aid patients from Georgia, Mississippi, and elsewhere obtain abortions in the state may need to shift tactics if the six-week ban is adopted.
According to monthly records received from the Florida Department for Health Care Administration, 6,708 persons travelled from outside the state to seek abortions last year, a more than 37 percent increase from 2021. The greatest rise in visitors occurred following the Supreme Court verdict. Between June 1 and December 31, 2017, there were 3,917 out-of-state abortions, a more than 140 percent increase over the same period in 2021.
In 2022, more than 82,000 people had abortions.
According to Clara Trullenque, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of South, East, and North Florida, caseloads at clinics along the state’s northern border doubled following the Supreme Court decision.
“Our health centres in Tallahassee and Jacksonville see more patients from other states where abortion access is even more restricted than in Florida,” Trullenque explained in an email. “We are continuing to hire additional staff, increase hours, and make every effort to service all of our patients.”
Amber Gavin, vice president of A Woman’s Choice, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based abortion clinic, said a patchwork of national financing organisations, regional abortion support groups, and local clinics had emerged to help manage the growing number of patients.
“We’re working very closely with local and national abortion funds to ensure that folks who come out to us get the care they need and that we get the care we need,” Gavin explained. “There is specific financing to ensure they can acquire the finances they need to get their care.”
A Woman’s Choice’s clinic also gives information to people from other states who are seeking treatment in Florida. According to their website, “Need Help? We assist with feedings, travel, and other tasks. We provide abortion services from all over the world. In fact, if your state has banned or severely restricted abortion care, such as AL, AK, GA, KY, LA, MS, MO, OK, TN, and WV, your abortion may be fully covered.”
Another issue is Florida’s 24-hour waiting time rule. A lawsuit contesting the requirement that people wait a day between their initial clinic visit and getting an abortion was dismissed by a state circuit court. According to Gavin, the law requires most out-of-state patients to go to Florida for two days, and the costs of flight, housing, and child care soon add up.
“Having to come here is already a barrier,” Gavin remarked. “We’re talking about people who have to take one to two days off work, as well as the cost of travel and lodging.”
According to AHCA data, the majority of people who came to the state for an abortion in the last several years came from Alabama and Georgia, although the number of clinics in North Florida has since declined. AHCA closed the lone facility in Pensacola in May of last year after at least three patients experienced issues that were probed for malpractice. They were forced to seek access in already overcrowded facilities in Tallahassee and Jacksonville when the Pensacola facility closed.
“They’ve simply started arriving from everywhere,” Gavin explained.
The June Supreme Court decision, which resulted in an increase in out-of-state visitors, prompted regional support and logistics organisations, such as Atlanta-based ARC Southeast, to reallocate funds from much larger abortion fundraising groups from covering doctor’s bills to paying for travel and lodging.
ARC Southeast Healthline Manager Elsie Vazquez stated that prior to the Roe decision, just a small portion of the money her organisation got went towards logistical costs. At least half of that money is now going into those auxiliary charges, which she refers to as “practical support.”
“Hundreds of people are having to travel considerable distances to obtain care because of bans in numerous [southeast] states,” Vazquez said. “And it’s one of the most significant obstacles they confront, aside from paying for an abortion.”
