State of telehealth medication abortion (TMAB)

The provision of telehealth for medication abortion is provided entirely through virtual care. This can be site-to-site or direct-to-patient.

The provider and patient are located in different places while using either a secure video-conferencing platform, audio platform, or a secure messaging system (asynchronous care). This is a fully remote model and oftentimes, the patient is located outside of a clinical setting, such as in their home.

The right to receive abortion care is protected by state statutes or state constitutions, and other laws and policies, including “shield laws,” that create additional access to abortion care.

State-mandated Bans specifically restricting the provision of TMAB.

The provision of telehealth for medication abortion care can be provided by telehealth in part, but not in entirety, because of state-mandated policies requiring a patient to have an in-person interaction.

State-mandated requirements, typically including numerous in-person visitation requirements, that practically inhibit the ability of a provider to utilize telehealth for any part of a patient’s abortion care process, regardless of the healthcare provider’s medical recommendation.

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps cover medical costs for some people with limited income and resources. The federal government has guidelines that all state Medicaid programs must follow, but each state has flexibility in designing and administrating its programs. As a result, eligibility requirements and benefits vary widely from state to state.

Medication abortion typically involves taking two different medications, Mifepristone and Misoprostol, to terminate a pregnancy up to 12 weeks. MAB care can be done through an in-person clinical visit, all virtual telehealth, hybrid-telehealth or people can choose to use MAB to self-manage their abortion.

A state-mandated requirement that an abortion-seeker undergoes blood testing and treatment for Rhesus (Rh) factor, a protein found in red blood cells, regardless of the healthcare provider’s medical recommendation.

Legal protections, including by executive order alone, that create state-specific protections for providers of abortion care, including abortion and telehealth for medication abortion providers, supporters, funds etc. treating and/or supporting a patient physically located in the shielding state.

Legal protections, including by executive order alone, that create state-specific protections for providers of abortion care, including abortion and telehealth for medication abortion providers, supporters, funds etc. treating and/or supporting a patient physically located in the shielding state and patients physically located in a different state.

The provider and patient are located in different clinical sites using a secure video-conferencing platform for patient counseling, medication administration or dispensing, or supervising drug ingestion.

Telehealth enables health care clinicians to treat patients virtually without an in-person appointment. Patients can connect directly with a healthcare clinician from any location and this can be done in a variety of modalities ways, including via live synchronous video, synchronous audio-only, and asynchronous store-and-forward modalities, such as video (“synchronous”), the phone, secured chat (“asynchronous”), and other telecommunications. This can be delivered direct-to-patient, site-to-site, or via hybrid in-person/virtual care.

Generally refers to a patient’s use of a phone and/or video with a provider for some or all of the interactions to prescribe and receive medication abortion. TMAB can be direct-to-patient, site-to-site, or through a hybrid in-person/virtual care experience using different modalities.

A state-mandated requirement that an abortion seeker receive an ultrasound before abortion care, regardless of the healthcare provider’s medical recommendation. This requirement can be explicit or implicit.