Medicaid and other resources
Medicaid (state health insurance programs) in Alaska, Oregon and Washington pays for abortion. Medicaid in Idaho does not. Depending on your income, you could qualify for Medicaid.
If Medicaid is not an option, help to pay for an abortion may still be available. National and state abortion funds can be an option, and some abortion clinics have funds available for those who qualify.
To learn more about abortion funding, choose your state below.
The National Network of Abortion Funds has information about funding outside the Pacific Northwest.
Northwest Abortion Access Fund
NWAAF funds people traveling within, to, or from the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
Funding is limited, and we cannot guarantee help to every caller. Vouchers are sent directly to the abortion clinic.
For financial help from NWAAF, please fill out our intake form or call our helpline at 1-866-NWAAF10 (1-866-692-2310). NWAAF is not able to accommodate requests that come in 48 hours or less before an appointment. If your appointment is in the next 48 hours, please speak with your provider about other funding options or consider rescheduling your appointment to a later date.
When you call our helpline, please be prepared to leave a message with:
- Your name and how to spell it
- Phone number, including area code
- How far along you are in the pregnancy
- The date and location of your abortion appointment
- The best time to call you back
Our trained volunteer advocates will follow up within 48 hours.
What is travel support?
Travel costs and logistics can make it hard to get to your abortion appointment. Travel support is help with a safe place to stay, a way to get to and from the clinic, and other travel needs. NWAAF provides volunteer-based support for people traveling to, within, and from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
In Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, Medicaid will pay for travel support. NWAAF can help you in arranging for Medicaid to pay for transportation and/or lodging.
NWAAF's travel support pledge:
Our volunteers will provide respectful, compassionate, non-judgmental support during your abortion experience.
We will match you with trained volunteers who have safe, well-maintained homes and cars.
We will do everything in our power to ensure that you have all of your needs met, are comfortable, and safe.
What kinds of travel support do you provide?
NWAAF offers:
- Help getting travel support through Medicaid in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington
- Homestays with trusted, trained volunteers
- Safe rides with trained volunteers
- Rides through Lyft when volunteers are unavailable
- Plane, train, and bus tickets
- Referrals to doula (emotional support) resources
- Volunteer food/meal delivery for people staying in hotels
- Menstrual pads, over-the-counter pain medicine, spare clothes, heating pads
- Other types of support as needed/available
What does volunteer-based support mean?
NWAAF offers volunteer-based travel support. This means that we can only pay for hotel stays or cab rides if there are no volunteers to help that day.
Volunteer support is better in many ways:
- Volunteers are familiar with the abortion process and can help support you
- Homestay volunteers have access to resources - food, incidentals, etc. - that are not usually available in a hotel
- Transportation volunteers are known to your abortion provider and can be trusted to drive you after you've received general anesthesia or sedation
- Our volunteer network communicates with your abortion provider and your funding team to ensure that your needs are met and you are safe
What is the NWAAF Client Agreement?
NWAAF asks all clients receiving travel support to review and agree to the following:
- I will respond to phone calls and/or text messages from NWAAF to the best of my ability in a timely manner.
- I will be respectful of volunteers’ time by alerting NWAAF in advance if there are changes to my itinerary.
- I understand that if airfare, bus fare, train fare, cabs, or other transportation services are purchased for me, a replacement fare will not be purchased for me if a scheduled flight, bus, train, or cab is missed.
- I will treat any living space NWAAF provides (homestay, hotel room, etc.) with respect.
Read the full Client Agreement.
Who can I contact for help with my travel needs?
If you're traveling for abortion care, and need help with lodging, logistics, and/or transportation, the Abortion Access Network may be able to help. To learn more, contact NWAAF at 1-866-NWAAF10 (1-866-692-2310) and choose option 3 from the menu or fill out our online form. Please opt to call the helpline for assistance needed in the next 36 hours. Our trained volunteers will follow up with you within 48 hours.