No one should have to travel long distances to access essential sexual and reproductive health care. However, since the catastrophic 2022 Dobbs decision, Planned Parenthood health centers in Oregon and Southwest Washington have provided health care to patients from more than 40 states because they cannot obtain abortion care close to home.

Patients are putting themselves at risk, and often at great personal expense, to access essential reproductive health care. Like the couple from Idaho who discovered that their fetus had devastating life-threatening birth defects, forcing them to drive across state lines for a safe, legal abortion; the patient who flew 3,000 miles to a friend’s house on the Oregon Coast, just so they would have somewhere free to stay, even if it meant commuting a few more hours after their appointment; or the Texas patient who chose Oregon because a friend of a friend worked at a Planned Parenthood health center here. These stories share a commonality: they trusted Planned Parenthood with their health care enough to travel to Oregon. In fact, one patient said, “You all are my angels. This is the best health care I’ve ever had. I wish other people like me knew that they were safe here.”

Even though over 80% of Americans believe abortion decisions should be made by a patient and their doctor, not politicians, more than 20 states have restricted or outright banned this routine procedure. Now, more than ever, we must do everything we can to ensure that Planned Parenthood continues to provide essential, life-saving sexual and reproductive health care in Oregon and Southwest Washington for generations to come.

As the CEOs of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette (PPCW) and Planned Parenthood Southwestern Oregon (PPSO), the two affiliates serving Oregon and Southwest Washington, we are grateful for the measures that Oregon and Washington lawmakers have taken to protect rights and access to sexual and reproductive health care and education. As a result, Oregon and Washington are two of the most protective states in the country for abortion care. Planned Parenthood is one of few statewide health care providers — serving rural, suburban, and urban patients — which puts us in the unique position of being able to serve all Oregonians no matter their zip code. Since 2022, we have seen a 50% increase in abortion services, and a majority of that increase is due to patients being forced to travel to our health centers from other states. However, stepping up to meet the growing need for health care has taken a toll on our organizations and on our providers, especially in rural parts of the state with well-documented provider shortages.

As a safety-net provider, with 70% of patients on Medicaid and another 11% uninsured, the Medicaid reimbursement rate for most services simply does not cover the cost of delivering health care. Planned Parenthood very proudly does not turn patients away, no matter their insurance coverage, immigration status, or ability to pay. This means we are seeing patients who are medically more complex, have had inadequate access to routine health care, and need more care during a single visit — all of which are challenging as health care costs continue to rise and Medicaid reimbursement rates stay stagnant.

Our goal is for Planned Parenthood to remain a strong advocate and health care provider in Oregon and Southwest Washington, which is why we took the important step of restructuring our advocacy arm. We are committed to keeping our doors open so that we can provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care and education for years to come.

In a Post-Roe nation facing the upcoming election, PPCW and PPSO are determined to keep our doors open, provide safe abortion care, and take care of the communities we serve. But we need your help! External threats to Planned Parenthood, reproductive rights, and reproductive health continue to escalate nationally, and proposed policies like a nationwide abortion ban could impact abortion access in states like Oregon and Washington. Support care where it happens: right here. Join us in the fight for essential, accessible health care by supporting your local Planned Parenthood, PPCW and PPSO, today.

Do you have a point you’d like to make or an issue you feel strongly about? Submit a letter to the editor or a guest column.