If your girlfriend is facing an unexpected pregnancy, cost is probably one of the first things on your mind. The short answer is this: in Tennessee, your insurance almost certainly will not pay for an elective abortion. State law makes abortion illegal except to save the woman’s life or prevent serious, lasting physical harm, so it is not a covered service here.
Our licensed medical staff provides no-cost, confidential pregnancy testing and ultrasounds, so you can get clear, factual answers without pressure.
Read on to learn what federal and Tennessee rules mean for coverage.
How Insurance Works
Before we get into the legal details, it’s essential to note how insurance coverage works. Typically, insurance companies will only cover a spouse or a domestic partner.
If you’re not planning to legally change your relationship status, it’s highly unlikely your insurance can extend to your girlfriend.
Federal Laws: What Do They Say?
No health plan is required by federal law to cover abortion. For Medicaid, federal dollars can only go toward abortion in cases of rape, incest, or a threat to the woman’s life, as explained by HealthCare.gov.
Many marketplace and private plans cover it narrowly or not at all.
What Tennessee Adds
Tennessee goes further. Under the state’s Human Life Protection Act, abortion is prohibited except when a physician acts to prevent the woman’s death or serious, irreversible harm to a major bodily function. Because elective abortion is not legal in the state, TennCare, marketplace plans, and private insurance do not cover it here, apart from those rare medical emergencies.
In practice, that means the cost of an elective abortion would likely fall to the two of you directly for an abortion outside of Tennessee.
Before either of you decides anything, it helps to know important pregnancy health details. A limited ultrasound from our medical staff can confirm the gestational age, location, and viability of the pregnancy.
You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone
Pregnancy is a lot to sort through, especially under stress. Our medical team has walked many couples through their questions with accurate, up-to-date information.
Knowing your insurance options is only one piece of the picture. Schedule a no-cost, confidential consultation today to confirm the pregnancy and talk through your options together.
Pregnancy Testing
To confirm your pregnancy, start with a no-cost pregnancy test from Choices. We will confidentially provide conclusive results at no cost to you.
STD/STI Services
During your pregnancy test, we also offer limited STD/STI screening. You and your partner receive no-cost treatment if you test positive for gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, or syphilis.
Ultrasounds
If your pregnancy test is positive, complete the confirmation process with a no-cost limited ultrasound. An ultrasound confirms viability, the gestational age, and the location of your pregnancy.
Abortion Pill Reversal
If you’ve taken the first dose of the abortion pill method and regret your decision, it may not be too late to save your pregnancy. There’s a process called Abortion Pill Reversal, but you must act quickly.
Pregnancy Testing
To confirm your pregnancy, start with a no-cost pregnancy test from Choices. We will confidentially provide conclusive results at no cost to you.
STD/STI Services
During your pregnancy test, we also offer limited STD/STI screening. You and your partner receive no-cost treatment if you test positive for gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, or syphilis.
Ultrasounds
If your pregnancy test is positive, complete the confirmation process with a no-cost limited ultrasound. An ultrasound confirms viability, the gestational age, and the location of your pregnancy.
Abortion Pill Reversal
If you’ve taken the first dose of the abortion pill method and regret your decision, it may not be too late to save your pregnancy. There’s a process called Abortion Pill Reversal, but you must act quickly.
