The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case Monday that would put medical abortion out of reach for many.
Providers in New Mexico who have had to adapt to a growing number of out-of-state patients are watching the case closely.
The case would remove U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for mifepristone, which is a common medication used for abortion.
It’s currently employed in over 60% of abortions in the U.S. That’s according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that collects data on abortion care.
NPR reports that most of the justices seemed skeptical Monday of arguments to limit the use of the medication.
Amy Hagstrom Miller is the CEO and president of Whole Woman’s Health, which is a privately owned organization that moved into New Mexico and other states after four of its clinics in Texas were shut down.
She said that after watching the arguments, she doesn’t think the case will go through.
“I don’t think, in the end, it’s going to have any effect on people’s access to safe care in New Mexico,” she said.
About 70% of abortion patients in New Mexico last year traveled from out-of-state to receive care. Kansas was the only other state with a comparable rate.
This coverage is made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and KUNM listeners.