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Since 1977, the Feminist Women's Health Center has been nationally recognized for excellence, safety, and compassion in abortion medicine. At our Cliff Valley Clinic, we offer surgical abortion care, first trimester and second trimester abortion services, as well as medication abortion care (an early non-surgical option), by appointment performed by state licensed OB-GYN physicians.
How long does an appointment last? Appointment times can vary depending on the degree of individualized attention each client needs. Please know that it is our goal to provide individualized attention and care for every woman's needs to make sure you are appropriately assisted in a timely manner. Please discuss with our phone counselor when you set up your appointment what time may be needed for your appointment. How much does an abortion cost? The fee charged for your abortion includes the pre-operative medical review, personal counseling, as well as the surgical procedure or the medication abortion drugs. However, your specific cost will be determined according to following:
The Cliff Valley Clinic has a sliding scale for fees that depend on your annual household income and your access to insurance, Medicaid, your student status, or military status. Thus, we offer discounts for women on Medicaid and for students and the military. In Georgia, Medicaid does not pay for abortion, so this discount is offered from our clinic for women with a current Medicaid card. To qualify for both the student and the military discounts, you will need to furnish a valid student or military identification card, in addition to the other ID required. We accept money orders; a Master Card, VISA, or American Express credit card; or a debit card with a Master Card, VISA or American Express logo. We cannot accept personal checks or cash. We can bill your insurance company, but only if your coverage has been verified in advance by our insurance department. Please review Does my insurance cover the abortion? for more information about this issue. Please remember that, based on the specifics of your insurance policy, you may need to pay a deductible or a co-pay at the time of your appointment. Please be aware that this fee is based on the information you give over the phone and that there could be information derived from the pre-operative medical review that could affect the actual fee charged. For example, if you did not advise us that the length of your pregnancy was greater than first trimester or if we determine through lab tests that there are undisclosed or unknown medical issues, the fee could be subject to change. Does my insurance cover the cost of an abortion? Most insurance plans cover abortion; however, in order to determine whether your policy actually covers this medical expense, you will need to call your insurance company or plan administrator to find out your benefits for abortion services. Please be sure to ask your insurance provider if you have a deductible or a co-pay so that you can be prepared for that expense. Depending on your policy, it may be necessary to obtain a referral from a primary care physician before setting up an abortion appointment. Please be aware that if you choose to have your insurance company cover this medical expense, your insurance company may send a statement to the billing address on your insurance policy. If you are not the primary subscriber on your insurance plan, the primary subscriber may find out about your abortion. We are contracted with several insurance companies: Blue Choice and the State of Georgia health plan as well as other insurance plans will cover an abortion at our clinic -- however, our insurance department must verify your coverage in advance of your appointment. So when you call for an appointment at our Cliff Valley Clinic, our insurance department will verify your insurance coverage in advance of your appointment. If you happen to determine that your insurance policy covers abortion care after you schedule your appointment but prior to your appointment, you can still call to get your insurance verified. When you come in for your appointment, you will need to bring in your insurance card and a valid picture identification card to complete the verification process. Also, if your policy requires it, you may need a referral or payment for the deductible or co-pay. We accept payments by money order, Master Card, VISA, Discover or American Express. We also accept debit cards with a Master Card, VISA or American Express logo. The cardholder must be present to sign the receipt. What method of abortion, medical or surgical, is right for me? Each woman who plans to terminate a pregnancy needs to choose the kind of abortion that is right for her. Both surgical and medical options are safe, effective, and highly acceptable to women. Medical abortion or the Mifeprex/Misoprostol abortion can occur as soon as the pregnancy has implanted in the uterus up to 8 weeks gestation. Surgical abortion procedures are typically performed beginning around 6 weeks and they can be performed up to 24 weeks at the Cliff Valley Clinic. (If the need for an abortion is due to life or health endangerment, a fetal anomaly, rape or incest, the abortion can be performed up to 26 weeks at the Cliff Valley Clinic.) Here are reasons that we hear from women on why they choose a surgical abortion:
Here are reasons that we hear from women on why they choose a medical abortion:
If you are having a first trimester surgical abortion, you can choose either a local procedure where you are alert and your cervix is numbed or you may prefer to have the procedure under anesthesia. If you are having a second trimester surgical abortion, this procedure is only performed under anesthesia. With anesthesia, you will be asleep during the procedure and pain free. With local, there isn't a simple answer to this question, because everyone experiences it differently. However, we can offer feedback from a majority of our clients on how they feel. First, the doctor will give an injection of a medication to numb the cervix, the opening of the uterus. During the procedure, most clients feel lower abdominal pressure and some light to moderate menstrual-type cramping. If you choose a medication abortion which is a Mifeprex & Misoprostol abortion, most women feel strong menstrual-type cramping for about 4 to 12 hours after administration of the Misoprostol. We will give you a prescription to help relieve this pain. We believe in true informed consent and we want you to know the facts about abortion. Abortion is one of the safest surgical procedures for women; however, every medical procedure has certain risks and possible complications. Despite improvements in the safety of legal abortion over the years, some abortions carry more risk than others due to the length of the pregnancy, the method of abortion, the type of anesthesia, the overall health condition of the woman, and the skill and training of the provider. Abortion risks and complication rates are so low in part because the large majority of procedures are performed early in pregnancy. In accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) abortion surveillance statistics (counts all deaths associated, not just attributed to abortion, which is more than reported on death certificates), the risk of death associated with abortion is low -- approximately 0.7 deaths per 100,000 abortions -- and the risk of major complications is less than 1%. For comparison purposes, the risk of death when a pregnancy is continued to birth is about 10 times as great as the risk of death from induced abortion. (Note: The calculation of mortality from childbirth omits deaths from miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy.) When you first call for an appointment, you will receive some general information on the procedure and its risks as required by Georgia law. Then, prior to the abortion during the personal counseling session, you will have an opportunity discuss and review the informed consent form that details all of the risks of surgery and this particular procedure. You will be required to place your initials at every section to indicate your understanding as well as be given all the time you need to ask questions. You are welcome and encouraged to bring a support person with you, whoever that person may be. Please know that due to security concerns, support persons may not be allowed in some parts of the clinic. Please ask when you make an appointment if this is an important issue to you. If you are a minor, under 18 years old, there are certain requirements that may or may not involve your parent accompanying you. Please see If I am under 18 years old, do my parent(s) need to know about my abortion? Also, if you choose general anesthesia or pain medication supplementing local anesthesia, you must have a responsible driver to drive you after your appointment. If I am under 18 years old, do my parent(s) need to know about my abortion? As of December 2005, the parent of a minor must be notified before an abortion is provided. Please call our clinic for more details. Are there any other legal requirements for an abortion? In Georgia, the following restrictions on abortion were in effect as of December 2005:
How long does it take for me to recover after the abortion? Every woman's body is different, but typically you can go back to your normal routine/work the next day. However you should avoid any strenuous exercise for at least one week. Please review our After Care Information for more information. What do I wear to my appointment?
What if I have other questions? If you have any other questions, please feel free to call one of our phone educators at 404-728-7900 or U.S. Toll Free at 1-800-877-6013. |
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The Feminist Women's Health Center is a member of Georgia Shares, an employee giving program. |