In Response to Roe v. Wade

1. All people within the state of California have the right to a safe abortion before viability and are not required to provide a reason for their request.
2. You do not need to notify or obtain the permission of a partner or parent to receive an abortion in California.
3. Most abortion services in California are covered by health insurance and should be available at little-to-no cost.
4. You have the right to receive the medical care/service you desire, including abortion, in a timely manner. Be wary of any facility that attempts to delay or deter you from obtaining the service you are seeking.
5. You have the right to receive translation and/or in-language services during your medical appointments.
6. You have the right to know if a facility is a licensed medical clinic, if staff are licensed medical practitioners, and if the facility will perform the service you are seeking prior to making an appointment.
7. HIPAA laws guarantee that your healthcare history, including abortions, is confidential. California law further protects your privacy under CMIA, which makes it illegal for your personal health data collected by any provider (doctor, business, mobile app, etc.) to be released without your consent.
8. You have the right to choose safe surrender up to three days after birth. You will have 14 days from the date you gave up the baby to regain custody.

To find the nearest safe surrender site, call 1-877-BABYSAF (1-877-222-9723)

Source links: Reproductive Rights, Safe Surrender Information

• Medi-Cal is available to all income-eligible Californians, regardless of immigration status, by January 2024.
• Well woman exams, contraceptive care, and HPV vaccines are free under Medi-Cal or Covered California health insurances.
• Prenatal care, labor, delivery, and post-partum care are also covered by Medi-Cal and Covered California insurance plans.
• Medi-Cal enrollment covers everything that is medically necessary for pregnant individuals to receive comprehensive coverage up until 12 months post-pregnancy, indiscriminate of immigration status.
• If you are recently pregnant, don’t have coverage, and your income is above the Medi-Cal income limit you may be eligible for the MediCal Access Program.
  • Medi-Cal Access Program (MCAP) provides pregnant individuals with low-cost comprehensive coverage with no copayments or deductibles for its covered services, up until 12 months post-pregnancy, indiscriminate of immigration status.
• CalWORKs provides cash assistance for the last 6 months of pregnancy to assist pregnant people in meeting their basic needs. CalWORKs also provides time limited cash support, childcare, and healthcare coverage. Individuals who qualify for MediCal and CalFresh automatically qualify for CalWorks.

Resource links: A list of abortion providers available in California can be found on the National Abortion Federation website, Medical Access Program, CalWORKS

• Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) do not provide comprehensive reproductive healthcare services, including access to abortions and birth control.
• Some CPCs are not licensed medical facilities and do not have licensed medical practitioners on staff. Unlicensed CPCs and staff are not required to keep your medical records private and cannot provide diagnostic ultrasounds (which tells you how many weeks pregnant you are).
• Most CPCs do not provide medical care such as prenatal care, STI-related services, and contraceptive care. In fact, 40% encourage taking “abortion pill reversal” medication which has not been clinically studied/approved and has been found to be harmful for pregnant people.
• CPCs outnumber abortion care clinics in California 5:4 and are often located near reproduction healthcare facilities. Make sure to confirm you are at the right address when you arrive for your healthcare appointment and be cautious of “sidewalk counselors” who may try to encourage you to enter a CPC.

Resource links: Attorney General Rob Bonta’s Consumer Alert for Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs)

• Proposition 1 (2022 ballot measure): Californians will have the opportunity to approve or deny Proposition 1 on November 8th’s General Election, which will amend the State Constitution to include the right to access reproductive healthcare services (including, but not limited to, abortions) if passed.
• AB 1666 (signed 2022): guarantees that California will not enforce or aid in the enforcement of anti-abortion laws from other states. This includes extraditing or cooperating in the prosecution of individuals who travel to California to seek abortion and/or reproductive care.
• Penal Code 187 (active law): prevents the prosecution of an individual for experiencing a miscarriage. However, if you experience a miscarriage as the result of an assault, the attacker may be prosecuted.
• AB 2091 (in the Senate for debate): If passed, it will protect the privacy of those seeking or considering getting an abortion in California.
• California Reproductive Health Service Corps, Abortion Practical Support Fund, & Los Angeles County Abortion Access Safe Haven Pilot Program.
• AB 2199 (in the Senate): If passed would provide 3 year grants for full-spectrum doula care in communities with high rates of ‘negative birth outcomes’.

• Health Access Program (HAP) is committed to advocating for the right to equitable access to healthcare for all AAPI community members.
• HAP can provide free health insurance enrollment assistance for Medi-Cal and Covered California.
• Free hotlines are available Monday thru Friday 10AM to 3PM to provide in-language assistance in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Thai, and Hindi.

HELPLINES

English  888.349.9695

普通话/广东话  800.520.2356

한국어  800.867.3640

Tagalog  855.300.2552

ภาษาไทย  800.914.9583

TIẾNG VIỆT  714.477.2958

हिन्दी  855.971.2552

More about AJSOCAL Health Access Project