City and state officials marked the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade by touting their efforts to strengthen abortion access in New York. A city-funded abortion access hotline has served nearly 2,000 people since it launched in November 2022 to connect callers to abortion providers and support, according to new city data released Friday. Most callers lived in New York City, but over 400 reported living outside the state, according to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A quarter of those out-of-state callers were from Texas. In a release, city officials also noted that NYC Health + Hospitals has expanded its capacity to provide abortion care, and that city-run sexual health clinics have started offering free medication abortions. “In the one year since this battle on reproductive rights was lost, the war continues on, and New York City has stepped up and solidified its place as a safe haven for reproductive freedom,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. Neither Health + Hospitals nor the Health Department would provide POLITICO with data on the number of abortions performed since the Supreme Court decision. Gov. Kathy Hochul recognized one year since the Dobbs decision by signing legislation to protect New York doctors who prescribe and send abortion pills to patients in other states, adding to a bundle of other shield laws enacted last year. “It's bold, but New Yorkers have always been bold, always champions of the movements before their time, and showing other states the path forward,” Hochul said during a bill-signing ceremony Friday. But the state still has a ways to go until it is the beacon of abortion access that officials like Hochul proclaim it to be, said Chelsea Williams-Diggs, interim executive director of the New York Abortion Access Fund. The fund, which helps both locals and people from outside the state pay for the cost of an abortion in New York, has seen an increase in demand since Dobbs — so much so that the nonprofit could completely run out of money by October, Williams-Diggs said in an interview. However, Hochul turned down a proposal last year to contribute state funding to organizations like NYAAF, instead forming a $35 million fund to help providers expand capacity and implement new security measures. In that sense, New York isn’t as much of a trailblazer as California, for example, which committed tens of millions of dollars to assist in-state and out-of-state abortion patients with travel and lodging costs. The average cost of a first-trimester abortion in New York is $600, according to Williams-Diggs — making the procedure inaccessible to many, in spite of the laws and protections trumpeted by local lawmakers. New York’s Medicaid program covers the procedure, but some providers don’t take Medicaid, and others do not accept it if a patient is later in pregnancy and requires more costly care, Williams-Diggs said. The most recent state budget raised Medicaid rates for surgical abortions, but they do not go into effect until October. IN OTHER NEWS: — Hochul signed legislation Sunday to protect health care providers, patients and patients’ families from legal proceedings in another state related to their providing or receiving gender-affirming care in New York. “These new laws will enshrine our state as a beacon of hope, a safe haven for trans youth and their families, and ensure we continue to lead the nation on LGBTQ+ rights,” Hochul said in a statement. ON THE AGENDA THIS WEEK: — Monday at 10:30 a.m. The state Public Health and Health Planning Council’s public health and health planning committees convene a joint meeting. — Monday at 2 p.m. The Public Health and Health Planning Council’s health planning committee meets. — Thursday at 10 a.m. The Public Health and Health Planning Council convenes a full council meeting. — Thursday at 3 p.m. The NYC Health + Hospitals board of directors hosts its monthly public meeting. GOT TIPS? Send story ideas and feedback to Maya Kaufman at mkaufman@politico.com. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.
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