In search of abortion, women are flocking to Illinois

But some of the toughest abortion regulations in the country are actually in Midwestern states. In Missouri, women must meet with a counselor, then wait up to 72 hours before getting the procedure. In Wisconsin, public money for abortions is limited to women whose health is in danger or who are victims of rape or incest. Then there's Indiana, led by Gov. Mike Pence, a Republican who this past spring signed a law that bans abortions for women whose babies have a fetal abnormality, such as Down syndrome. That law was just struck down by a federal judge.

As neighboring states clamp down on access to abortion, women are flocking across the border to one of Illinois' Planned Parenthood health centers or to private providers. Planned Parenthood of Illinois saw a 20 percent spike in medical visits overall last year. The state sending the most patients over? Indiana. In 2015, 44 percent of all visits from Indiana natives were for an abortion. This year, that jumped to 57 percent.

The Chicago-based nonprofit, which had $27.2 million in 2015 revenue, says business is up across all of its service lines, from birth control (the most popular offering), to STD testing and abortions. To handle the increasing demand, it has renovated clinics, hired more doctors and lengthened clinic hours. Planning is underway for its 18th health center, likely in southern Cook County.

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160705/NEWS/307059984