SCOTUS Decision To Overturn Roe v. Wade Already Creating Surge Of Out-Of-State Patients In Pennsylvania: Planned Parenthood
WARMINSTER, Pa. (CBS) -- Days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, reproductive health care centers in Pennsylvania are already seeing an uptick in out-of-state patients seeking abortion services.
"For people who are already marginalized communities, Black and Brown communities, low-income communities, rural communities, they are going to have the gravest harms," Planned Parenthood Keystone President and CEO Melissa Reed said.
Reed says the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has already created a surge in patients traveling to Pennsylvania.
"Up to 8,500 additional patients will be coming into Pennsylvania to seek abortion care from states like Ohio and West Virginia that are imposing bans," Reed said.
While most so far are booking appointments in clinics in western Pennsylvania, providers statewide are already taking on telehealth services to free up in-person resources in cities like Pittsburgh.
"We are working very hard to expand access to abortion by adding increased appointment availability, hiring more doctors," Reed said.
While abortion is still legal in Pennsylvania, the Republican legislature is pushing to reverse that.
"They have several bills that they are considering right now to ban abortion," Reed said, "and they are considering a constitutional amendment that can go before the voters as early as the primary in 2023."
The United States is only the fourth country in the last 25 years to remove abortion rights, something Reed says hurts all women.
"Women's equality has been completely undermined by this decision," Reed said. "When women got access to abortion, our educational and income levels rose in direct correlation."
Planned Parenthoods across the state say safety is a key issue that has been heightened since Friday and they are seeking volunteers to help escort patients to and from their appointments.