Abortion in Texas

Abortion pills by mail (telehealth)

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

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

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.
• The state permits the pregnant person and/or family members to sue the person who provided an abortion in violation of the state's abortion restriction.
• The state allows private citizens to bring a civil claim against anyone providing logistical, financial, or other support to help someone get an abortion, which could include obtaining or using medication abortion or obtaining an abortion in another state. These are sometimes referred to as "bounty hunter laws" or "Vigilante laws."
• 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.
• Before providing an abortion to a minor inside the state, the state requires an abortion provider to notify their parent or guardian.
• 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 inside the state, the state requires an abortion provider to get their parent or guardian's consent, and it must be notarized.

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 allows private insurance plans to cover abortion only in cases when there is a threat to the health of the pregnant person, which is often limited to substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.
• 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.
• The state allows exchange insurance plans to cover abortion only in cases when there is a threat to the health of the pregnant person, which is often limited to "substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function."
• 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.