When should you contact a health care provider after an abortion?

If you need help paying for your abortion, you can see if you qualify to get funding to cover some of the cost. To start, make an appointment with a provider. Ask your provider about what financial assistance may be available to you. Many providers work directly with organizations called abortion funds to offer financial support. Here are a few key things to know about abortion funds: - Each fund has different rules about who is eligible to get funding. - Each fund has a different range of funding amounts they may be able to offer. Most funds require that you have already scheduled an abortion appointment before you can start the process of applying for funding. To start the process of applying for funding from an abortion fund, you’ll give them some basic information to see if you qualify. Here are some common things funds may ask to see if you’re eligible to get financial assistance from them: - Your pregnancy stage - Your total household income - The number of people in your household - The state you’re located in - The name of the health center or provider where you’ll have your abortion appointment - The state where your health center or provider is located - The date of your abortion appointment - The cost of your abortion

**Abortion funds** can help you cover the medical cost of an abortion. **Practical support organizations** can help you cover the cost of other parts of the abortion process, like travel. They also offer logistical and emotional support to people who need an abortion. **Some organizations offer both** abortion funding and practical support. A practical support organization may help with things such as: - Travel (both short and long distances) to get an abortion - Lodging if you have to travel - Childcare during abortion appointments - Meals while traveling - Emotional support - Judicial bypass (for people under 18 in certain U.S. states)

Each organization has a different process to apply for and receive assistance. Sometimes you can directly apply for assistance from an organization. Other times, an organization may ask that you apply for assistance through your provider. Check the organization’s website for the specifics of how to apply for assistance. **Here is how the process of directly applying for assistance from an organization typically works:** **1. Contact the organization.** Depending on the organization, you may need to provide some key information by doing one of the following: - Calling a phone number - Texting a phone number - Sending an email - Filling out and submitting an online form Each organization will ask you to provide different information to apply for assistance. Here are some of the most common pieces of information they may ask you to provide: - Your pregnancy stage - Your total household income - The number of people in your household - The state you’re located in - The name of the health center or provider where you’ll have your abortion appointment - The state where your health center or provider is located - The date of your abortion appointment - The cost of your abortion - Other needs (like support with travel or childcare) you may have **2. Receive a response from the organization.** Once an organization has received your information, they’ll review it to see if you’re eligible to get support from them. Most organizations will contact you within 72 hours to let you know if you’re eligible for assistance and what assistance you’re eligible to get. **3. Get assistance (if you’re eligible).** If you’re eligible, the organization will give you a “pledge” of assistance that will give you the details about what they are able to provide. The exact way you’ll get assistance from an organization depends on what kind of assistance you’re getting and on the process the organization uses. You’ll most likely need to follow up with the organization one or more times to finish the process of getting assistance.