Yes, abortions are legal in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania permits the procedure through the 23rd week of pregnancy, with narrow exceptions after that point for serious health risks.1Pennsylvania Department of Health. Abortion Philadelphia follows the same rules as the rest of the Commonwealth; the city has no separate local abortion laws. Pennsylvania’s framework was built on state statute rather than federal constitutional protection, so the 2022 Dobbs decision did not change what is available here.
How Late in Pregnancy You Can Get an Abortion
The cutoff is measured from the last menstrual period. The statute prohibits performing an abortion once gestational age reaches 24 weeks or more.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18 Pa.C.S.A. 3211 – Abortion on Unborn Child of 24 or More Weeks Gestational Age Not every clinic goes all the way to that limit, so ask when you schedule.
After 24 weeks, a physician may perform an abortion only when it is necessary to prevent the patient’s death or to prevent substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. That decision requires written certification from the performing physician and a concurring opinion from a second physician who has independently examined the patient. The procedure must take place in a hospital, and a second physician must be present to provide immediate care to the newborn.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18 Pa.C.S.A. 3211 – Abortion on Unborn Child of 24 or More Weeks Gestational Age A claim that the patient would engage in self-harm does not satisfy this exception. Only a licensed physician can perform an abortion in Pennsylvania at any stage.
The 24-Hour Waiting Period
Pennsylvania requires voluntary and informed consent for every abortion, and the counseling has to happen at least 24 hours before the procedure. The physician who will perform the abortion, or a referring physician, must personally explain the nature of the procedure, the medical risks and alternatives, the probable gestational age, and the risks of carrying the pregnancy to term.3Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18-3205 – Informed Consent
You also have to be told that the state publishes printed materials on fetal development and alternatives to abortion, that medical assistance benefits may be available for prenatal care and childbirth, and that the father is legally obligated to help support the child even if he offered to pay for the abortion. A physician assistant, health care practitioner, technician, or social worker can give you this second set of information. You then sign a written statement confirming you received it.3Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18-3205 – Informed Consent
The 24 hours run from when the counseling happens, not from when you booked the appointment. In a medical emergency where waiting would endanger your life or cause substantial and irreversible harm, the waiting period does not apply.3Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18-3205 – Informed Consent
If You Are Under 18
If you are under 18 and not emancipated, a physician cannot perform an abortion without informed consent from both you and at least one parent or legal guardian. The one exception is a medical emergency.4Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18-3206 – Parental Consent
When getting parental consent is not possible or safe, you can petition a Court of Common Pleas for a judicial bypass. The petition can be filed in the judicial district where you live or where the abortion would be performed. The court will authorize the abortion if it finds either that you are mature enough to give informed consent on your own or that the abortion is in your best interest. The proceeding is confidential, expedited, and free.4Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18-3206 – Parental Consent
Medication Abortion and Telehealth
Medication abortion using mifepristone and misoprostol is available in Pennsylvania. In 2023, the FDA updated its rules to allow mifepristone to be prescribed through telehealth and delivered by mail, which expanded access for patients who live far from a clinic or prefer not to visit one in person. Philadelphia also has multiple in-person providers.
The legal picture for medication abortion is in motion. As of early 2026, a case filed by Louisiana seeks to reinstate a requirement that patients pick up mifepristone in person, which would end mail delivery. Separate cases filed by Missouri and Florida ask courts to invalidate the FDA’s approval of mifepristone entirely. No court has reversed the current rules yet, but a ruling in any of these cases could restrict telehealth and mail-order access nationwide.
What It Costs and What Insurance Covers
Pennsylvania Medicaid does not cover abortion except in cases of life endangerment, rape, or incest. The same restriction applies to health plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.1Pennsylvania Department of Health. Abortion State and local government-run health facilities face parallel restrictions and generally cannot provide abortions unless one of those narrow exceptions applies.5Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18-3215 – Publicly Owned Facilities; Public Officials and Public Funds
Private insurance may cover the procedure depending on the employer and policy, but many plans do not. Without coverage, out-of-pocket costs for medication abortion typically run $500 to $800, and first-trimester surgical abortions fall in a similar range. Costs rise significantly for procedures later in pregnancy.
If you cannot afford the full cost, help is available. The Abortion Liberation Fund of PA serves patients in southeastern Pennsylvania and can be reached at (215) 564-6622 after you schedule an appointment. The National Abortion Federation Hotline at (800) 772-9100 can also connect you with funding. These funds generally require a confirmed appointment before processing a request.
Privacy and Clinic Access
Medical records related to abortion are confidential under federal and state law. The HIPAA Privacy Rule protects health information related to reproductive care from unauthorized disclosure.6U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HIPAA Privacy Rule and Disclosures of Information Relating to Reproductive Health Care In 2024, HHS finalized additional protections that further limit when covered entities can disclose reproductive health information, particularly in response to investigations from states where abortion is restricted.7Federal Register. HIPAA Privacy Rule To Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy Your provider generally cannot share your abortion-related records without your consent or a court order.
Federal law also protects patients and staff at clinic entrances. The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act makes it a federal offense to use force or the threat of force to interfere with someone obtaining or providing reproductive health services.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 248 – Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances The Department of Justice enforces the statute through criminal prosecution and civil action.9Department of Justice. Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances and Places of Religious Worship Threats or physical obstruction at a Philadelphia clinic are a federal crime.
One Note on Spousal Notice
Pennsylvania’s Abortion Control Act still contains a provision requiring married patients to notify their spouse before an abortion.10Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18-3209 – Spousal Notice It is not enforceable. The U.S. Supreme Court struck it down in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). No provider will require it.