This week we learned that the U.S. Supreme Court may very well overturn Roe v. Wade. My spouse and I had a very unexpected pregnancy due to a birth control failure, after we had decided that having a child was not the right decision for us. I had a surgical abortion to terminate the pregnancy in October 2021.

The bills I received weren’t major for our household. However, I was surprised to learn through my own research about the 2017 Oregon Reproductive Health Equity Act, which requires insurance companies in Oregon to cover abortion-related expenses with no out-of-pocket costs. The purpose is to create equitable access to reproductive health, especially for underserved and underrepresented individuals in the state.

For months, I was locked in a frustrating tango of communications between the providers, who were pressuring me for payment, and my insurer, whose representatives expressed no awareness of the law. I reached out to an advocate who contacted the insurer on my behalf. In February, they finally re-processed my claims to comply with Oregon law.

Many women are having abortions in Oregon, where support for the right to choose is strong. Yet, many are no doubt being billed or being sent to collections for expenses that should be covered in full.

With Roe v. Wade under attack, Oregon needs to do better. We can’t pat ourselves on the back for access to abortion when we haven’t solved this. Our government must enforce the Reproductive Health Equity Act by holding insurers accountable and investing in public education about access and rights.

Kelly Stevens, Portland