NYC Health + Hospitals Provides Update on Telemedicine Abortion Care, Delivering Medications by Mail to Eligible Patients in New York City
NYC Health + Hospitals’ Virtual ExpressCare telehealth service allows New York City patients to speak with a health care provider on-demand via video or phone from the comfort of their own home.
Patients considering abortion are evaluated by a clinician and educated about their options. If eligible, patients can receive their medications by mail or schedule an in-person appointment
Your medication will arrive at your New York City address within a few days.
October 28, 2024
NYC Health + Hospitals today announced one year of telemedicine abortion care through its Virtual ExpressCare service. In its first year, the service provided more than 2,700 virtual visits, mailed more than 800 medication abortion kits, and referred an additional 1,050 patients to in-person care. The average wait time for virtual visits is less than 7 minutes. More than 75% of our patients identify as people of color. The service has a patient satisfaction rating of 90% and a Net Promoter Score of 74. The service allows New York City patients seeking abortion care to receive evaluation, counseling, and diagnosis on-demand and by video or telephone with a New York State-licensed medical professional. Access to medicines if eligible. Telehealth services are available seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and patients can receive safe and legal abortion care. NYC Health + Hospitals Virtual ExpressCare services are available in more than 200 languages and can be accessed at expresscare.nyc or by calling 631-EXP-Care (631-397-2273). A flyer about this program is available in English, Spanish, Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, French, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Urdu. Available in 13 languages.
“Healthcare is a human right, and that includes reproductive health care,” said Anne Williams Isom, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. “Since the Dobbs decision, New York City has stood up to protect and defend reproductive rights and ensure that care is available to everyone who needs it. We have helped tens of thousands of people in need connect with health care providers, and we will continue to make reproductive health care services available to everyone.”
“We are thrilled to be partnering with New York City Health + Hospitals to provide the best care for our patients,” said Erfan Karim, MPH, Executive Director of NYC Health + Hospitals Virtual ExpressCare. “This milestone highlights NYC Health + Hospitals’ ability to leverage technology to break down barriers and ensure equitable reproductive health care for all New Yorkers.”
“This service allows people to access abortion care earlier in their pregnancy without the same opportunity cost of a clinic appointment,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Reproduction Health Clinical Lead and Virtual ExpressCare Associate Medical Director Marisa Nadas, MD. “This service has reached people who would otherwise have difficulty accessing care. People have the right to access abortion care when and where they need it, and telehealth can help. ”.
Telemedicine abortion services by NYC Health + Hospitals are based in New York City and New York City. The medication will only be mailed to New York City addresses and is available to clinically eligible patients up to 10 weeks pregnant.
NYC Health + Hospitals provides a wide range of facility-based obstetric and Provides gynecological services. Nutrition, health behavior referrals, preventive care, first and second trimester abortion care, and vaccinations. Gynecology services include treatment for menopause and uterine fibroids, as well as specialty care for gynecological cancers, pelvic pain, and endometriosis. Patients who would like to schedule an appointment in person should call 1-844-NYC-4NYC.
In addition to abortion care, Virtual ExpressCare provides care for a variety of physical and behavioral conditions, including COVID-19, minor injuries, fever and influenza, upper respiratory tract infections, anxiety, depression, and substance use issues. Provide patients with immediate, confidential care for their health concerns. Virtual ExpressCare is available to all New Yorkers 24/7, 365 days a year at expresscare.nyc or by calling 631-EXP-Care (631-397-2273).
Launched in 2020, Virtual ExpressCare has grown to provide approximately 90,000 virtual visits annually. The service played a critical role in the city and state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Virtual ExpressCare partnered with the New York State Department of Health to provide COVID-19 treatments through the state’s new COVID-19 hotline, 888-TREAT-NY. This service provides life-saving COVID-19 treatment on the same or next day.
NYC Health + Hospital serves patients regardless of their ability to pay. The new telehealth abortion care will be covered like any other service. Patients with insurance may be required to pay a co-pay. If a patient cannot pay or does not have insurance, Virtual ExpressCare provides care, connects patients with trained financial counselors, and helps them enroll in health insurance through NYC Care, Medicaid, and Medicare. Financial support is available at the lowest cost per visit. $0 depending on patient income and family size.
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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the nation’s largest municipal health system, serving more than 1 million New Yorkers annually at more than 70 patient care facilities in the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers strengthens care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agencies and MetroPlus Health Plans. All of this is supported by 11 key hospitals. Our diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on helping New Yorkers, without exception, live the healthiest lives possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and connect with us on Facebook. TwitterInstagram, and LinkedIn.
