SCOTUS Roe v. Wade decision looms large for Nevada

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) -Nevada abortion advocates anticipate a surge in people seeking procedures in the Silver State, following any changes to Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court.

The Wild West Access Fund of Nevada, which helps people with travel and medical costs when seeking abortions, said the organization has already helped patients from out of state seek treatment in Nevada. The number of out-of-state patients increased after Texas enacted a law banning abortions after six weeks, and other states followed with further restrictions.

“In Nevada, we already have a relatively small medical infrastructure. We already see we get a lot of callers who are waiting on appointments. And of course, with pregnancy, time is extremely of the essence, and abortion becomes illegal after certain point in Nevada. Abortion is legal here, but only up to 24 weeks,” said Nikki Levy, attorney with Wild West Access Fund of Nevada.

The organization has been preparing for months for any changes to Roe v. Wade, anticipating possible restrictions from surrounding states such as Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Oklahoma.

“The longer it takes you to get an appointment with an overwhelmed abortion provider, the further along in the pregnancy that you become, and potentially the more difficult and the more expensive it is to actually access that care that you need,” Levy said. “Nevada, it can cost you at a minimum $650 for a surgical procedure. A lot of people don’t have $700 just laying around. That’s a large amount of money,” Levy said.

Copyright 2022 KVVU. All rights reserved.