UPMC Health Plan

Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision Information and FAQs

Pittsburgh (June 28, 2022) – On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court officially overturned Roe v. Wade, which had previously established a constitutional right to abortion (with some limitations). While the new ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization does not actually prohibit or otherwise restrict the delivery of abortion or other reproductive services, it does mean that the legality of and allowances for abortion services now vary more significantly from state to state. We understand that you are likely to have questions about what this means for the terms of any benefits for abortion and related reproductive services under your UPMC Health Plan coverage.

UPMC Health Plan has for many years worked closely with our provider partners, including UPMC, to support and promote women’s health. As always, we are committed to ensuring that all of our members have access to the high-quality care that they need and that all of our plan benefits are administered in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and requirements. For our clients and members in Pennsylvania, we note that the Supreme Court decision has not changed the legality of abortion or the terms of coverage for these services within the Commonwealth.

Because of the variation in other state laws and coverage limitations or requirements that now exist, we are in the process of actively evaluating any impact for our members that live, work, or travel outside of Pennsylvania. In the interim, we have prepared the following Question-and-Answer series that we hope you will find to be helpful and informative.

We appreciate the urgency of your questions and we are committed to sharing more detailed information as soon as it is available. As always, thank you for choosing UPMC Health Plan.

Questions and Answers (June 27, 2022)

Q: Does the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade change my plan benefits for reproductive care/abortion services?
A: No. The Court decision does not impact the reproductive care services that are currently covered under your plan. If your plan covered abortion services before this decision, the decision will not change that coverage.
Q: Does the Supreme Court decision impact my plan benefits for contraceptive services?
A: No. The Court decision has not impacted the coverage of contraceptives or any other reproductive care services under your plan; if your plan covered contraception or other reproductive services before this decision, the decision will not change that coverage.
Q: Is abortion still legal in Pennsylvania?
A: The Court decision has not changed the legality of abortion in Pennsylvania, but there are certain rules and procedures that patients and providers in Pennsylvania must follow. If you have questions about when and how abortion services are provided in Pennsylvania, you should speak to a health care provider.
Q: Are there new limits on where, when or how individuals can receive abortion services in either Pennsylvania or other states because of the Supreme Court decision?
A: The Court decision has not changed the law in Pennsylvania regarding abortion. Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania but there are certain rules and procedures that patients and providers in Pennsylvania must follow. Abortion is not legal in all states and there may be different specific rules or limitations based on the state and individual is currently in. If you have questions about the rules in your state, including the timing or availability of abortion or other reproductive services, you should speak to a health care provider located in your state.
Q: Will my UPMC Health Plan coverage pay for abortion/reproductive care services in another state?
A: While the Supreme Court decision has not changed the terms of coverage for these services under your plan, rules for both providers and health plans can vary from state to state. Some states do prohibit providers from performing abortion services and other states prohibit health plans from paying for those services. There are no changes to the rules for reproductive care providers or health plans in Pennsylvania. We are working to prepare additional coverage information for our members who are located outside of Pennsylvania and will share this information as soon as we can.