People in rural communities have to travel longer distances for all types of medical care. Many rural counties don’t have a practicing OB-GYN or even a healthcare facility. For this reason, restrictions that limit access to a full range of reproductive healthcare are particularly burdensome to rural women, creating negative health and economic consequences for women and their families. Federal law should support access to healthcare facilities, reduce the barriers that require additional travel and delays in treatment, enable virtual appointments, and ensure prescriptions by mail.
Access to Reproductive Healthcare
Policy Priorities
- Federal: Passing the Women’s Health Protection Act would prohibit unnecessary medical visits that create barriers to abortion access as well as cumbersome credentialing for providing abortion services. Furthermore, it safeguards all forms of abortion procedures prior to fetal viability, all medically necessary abortions, and the right to interstate travel for abortion care.
- State: Remove unnecessary waiting periods and other restrictions on reproductive health services that disproportionately impact patients who are forced to travel long distances, often on multiple occasions, for time-sensitive care.