The most common abortion provider is often the most expensive, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), which released the results of a survey on health care prices and services.
In fact, the top five providers of abortion in the U.S. are the only ones that charge more than $100 for a tubal ligation, according the survey.
In addition, the survey revealed that women of color and low-income women have the highest rates of being denied care.
In general, low- and middle-income patients are disproportionately denied services, as are people with disabilities, people who have chronic medical conditions, and women of reproductive age.
The survey found that women with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to being denied abortion care because of discrimination in the healthcare system, and those who have a chronic medical condition are more likely to face barriers to accessing care.
Women with chronic medical issues face even greater barriers because of their stigma in the health care system, the study found.
“Women of color are at particularly high risk of having their health and safety impacted by discrimination,” said Dr. Anjali Shah, the research director at ASRM, in a press release.
“Women of colour, especially those with disabilities and mental health conditions, have lower levels of access to care than other women of race.
The fact that we are seeing these disparities in access highlights how the healthcare sector is a systemic barrier to women’s health care.”
The report found that while the percentage of abortions performed by women who are low- to moderate-income declined slightly from 2012 to 2013, the number of low-to-moderate-income providers of abortions remained stagnant.
The average price of a tubally invasive abortion increased from $7,500 to $15,000 in the year following the study.
The cost of a repeat procedure rose from $3,000 to $5,000.
While these numbers are relatively low, the results are troubling because they show that abortion providers are still charging disproportionately high prices, especially for low-level services.
Shah said that, even with higher prices, “the average cost of the procedure remains very affordable, and this is a major reason why so many women choose to have an abortion.”