Dramatic drop in abortion providers as states target clinics with restrictive laws
By Kate Smith, CBS News
December 11, 2019
Nearly a third of all independent abortion providers have either closed or stopped providing the procedure in the past five years, according to a report from the Abortion Care Network. New state regulations are one reason: Many providers say they can't keep up with the cost of complying with them.
"Anti-abortion politicians have long used onerous restrictions to try and shut down independent abortion providers," said Nikki Madsen, executive director of the Abortion Care Network, a professional organization for independent clinics, or providers not affiliated with Planned Parenthood. "Since 2010, anti-abortion politicians have passed more than 400 laws that attempt to make it too expensive or logistically impossible for abortion clinics to operate."