People seeking abortions are flown to states where the procedure is legal

Providing abortion pills via telemedicine across state lines: The case of Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, an Austrian doctor with a medical license

Providing abortion pills via telemedicine, across state lines, raises legal questions. The Dutch physician Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, the founder of Aid Access, writes prescriptions for abortion pills for women in red states, using her Austrian medical license. I wrote an article for The New York Times Magazine about what happened when American doctors and women went to work with Gomperts. “I just want to scream, ‘This is a public health emergency!’” Linda Prine was one of the doctors that I was reporting on. Abortion opponents, on the other hand, say their state laws should bind out-of-state providers.

Clinics in states like Colorado, Illinois and New York have also seen more patients as women travel out of state for abortions. But the shift to telemedicine makes sense for practical reasons. In the first couple of months of life, having an abortion with pills at home is just as safe and effective as going to a clinic.

A state where abortion is now banned in almost all cases sits at the airport. abortion is still legal a short flight away in Kansas. That has launched a wave of travel from across the South and Midwest in pursuit of pills and procedures that used to be legal all across the U.S..

Only a few people in Michael’s life know that he’s part of a network of people helping women get abortions that have suddenly become illegal in their home states. Some of his friends and family are against abortion. Unsurprisingly, pilots tend to be less conservative than Americans. Fewer than 10% are women.

Dreith said the flights prove particularly useful for people who don’t have the documents needed to fly commercially. People escaping abuse, including one of her recent clients who contacted the Midwest Access Coalition in December to get an abortion, are possible in that group.

“There are tons of little airports like this dotted all over,” Michael said. I try to avoid the big airports. Usually, we fly into one that’s closer to where they live.”

The Impact of Private Aviation on the Civil Society and Advocates of Roe v. Wade: An Answer to a Pilot’s Bitter Concern

The pilots donate their time and the use of their planes. Most also cover the cost of fuel, because private pilots can’t legally be compensated for flying. The organization is seeking an exemption that will allow them to reimburse fuel costs.

Recently, Michael took a woman back home to the Deep South after an appointment at a Kansas clinic. He loves to fly — he also does volunteer flights for an animal rescue group and he jumps at the chance to take his family and friends up in the sky. Michael said an Elevated Access flight feels different.

He said that it might not be the best time in a particular person’s life, and that they are going through a sensitive thing. “So I treat that with a lot of reverence.”

Soon after Roe v. Wade was overturned last summer and Elevated Access was launched, Michael posted a link to the organization in an online pilot forum. The blowback came immediately.

It was a difficult thing to share, he said. Even though it raised a few ire, I’m glad I made a few pilots aware of it. Still, the angry response has made him less likely to talk about his involvement with the group, he said.

For pilots like Michael, most of whom have day jobs, the flights offer a chance to keep their flying skills sharp while supporting a cause they believe in.

Private flights can be life-changing for people who are attempting to get to an abortion appointment.

They can change a multi-day drive into a couple of hours or make flying much simpler if they cut out a trip to the nearest commercial airport.

And Elevated Access lets the passengers remain virtually anonymous. The passenger’s weight and first name are what the pilots give them.

“We don’t check ID because that’s not part of private aviation,” said the founder of Elevated Access, who goes by Mike, and also asked that we not use his last name because he’s concerned about possible legal risk or online harassment. There’s no tickets or anything like that. They can definitely use a fake first name if they want to.

Pilots are instructed not to ask passengers why they’re traveling. That relieves passengers of any pressure to explain or justify the services they’re seeking, and also gives the pilots plausible deniability in the face of potential legal threats. Some states are considering prosecuting those who help people get abortions, and Texas has already made them liable to lawsuits.

David Cohen, a law professor, said it could be possible for a prosecutor to charge a pilot with murder or accessory to murder in the course of an abortion case. We haven’t seen prosecutors try that yet. But there’s good reason to believe that’s on the horizon.”

Rachel Rebouché, dean of the Temple University Beasley School of Law, said there’s also a possibility that federal officials could place restrictions on abortion-related travel in U.S. airspace.

She stated that the current administration would not try to use federal aviation powers to punish people who are flying instead of driving. “But in years to come, depending on who’s elected, an anti-abortion administration could try to do that.”

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/03/27/1166262892/volunteer-pilots-fly-patients-seeking-abortions-to-states-where-its-legal

Volunteer pilots fly patient’s seeking abortion to states where it’s legal: The experience and the role of lobbying in advocating for abortion equality

Mike said that Elevated Access completed “dozens and dozens” of flights. More than 200 pilots have been vetted and more than 1,000 have expressed interest.

However, it’s a window into the increasingly unconventional tactics of the underground groups that are working to keep abortion accessible to people across the country.

She said the threat of passing a law can make people organize in different ways. “It’s an interesting dynamic, how this push-pull of potential policy is shaping both care “And advocacy strategies.”

If a patient isn’t old enough to rent a car, or if their commercial flight was canceled, ElevatedAccess usually works with partner groups to coordinate flights after other options have been exhausted.

Mike says the idea for Elevated Access arose out of his experience volunteering with another organization, Midwest Access Coalition, which helps people coordinate and pay for abortion-related travel.

Alison Dreith, Midwest Action Coalition’s director of strategic partnerships, said she’s connected several clients with Elevated Access. Most of the people have low incomes and have never flown before.

She was a bit nervous about flying. The pilot was able to walk her directly onto the airfield from the parking lot. It really feels like a V.I.P. experience.”

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/03/27/1166262892/volunteer-pilots-fly-patients-seeking-abortions-to-states-where-its-legal

Abortions, prenatal care and domestic violence: The case of a Missouri woman living in a state without a 20-week abortion

A woman from an abusive partner was taken to a clinic that provides abortions when Dreith traveled to North Carolina. The woman thought she was around 16 weeks pregnant — so still legally eligible for an abortion under the state’s 20-week limit — but wasn’t certain because her partner hadn’t allowed her to get an ultrasound or any prenatal care.

She got to the clinic, but found out she was past the state’s limit. The staff at Elevated Access organized a flight for the woman, who was originally from the St. Louis area.

After crossing the Missouri state line into Illinois, the woman was able to get an abortion. She also sought help from a domestic violence group and is now living on her own.

“She thought that she would never get out of her situation and was going to kill herself,” he said. “I don’t even have the superlatives to describe how thankful she was.”

This story was produced by the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, KMUW, Kansas Public Radio and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.