Mifepristone is available through telehealth services that mail it to your home, at certified retail pharmacies in select states, and at in-person abortion clinics. Where you can access it depends on your state’s laws, how far along you are in pregnancy, and whether you prefer an in-person or virtual visit. The FDA approves mifepristone for ending an intrauterine pregnancy up to 10 weeks gestation (70 days from the first day of your last period).
Telehealth Services That Mail Mifepristone
For many people, telehealth is the most accessible option. You complete a virtual consultation with a licensed provider, and the medication is mailed to your home, typically in discreet packaging. Three of the largest telehealth providers are Aid Access, Hey Jane, and Wisp, though they differ in which states they serve and who qualifies.
Aid Access operates in 20 states and Washington, D.C., covers patients as young as 13, and prescribes up to 12 weeks gestation. It serves Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Hey Jane serves 9 states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Virginia, and Washington) with a 10-week limit and requires patients to be 18 or older. Wisp covers 8 states (Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, and Washington), also up to 10 weeks and for adults only.
Online telehealth services generally cost around $250 or less, which is significantly cheaper than the average in-clinic price of about $551 for a first-trimester medication abortion. Some services offer sliding-scale fees or accept insurance.
Retail Pharmacies in Select States
Since 2023, the FDA has allowed certified retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone directly, which means you can pick it up with a prescription just like other medications. Walgreens began dispensing in pharmacies in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois. CVS started in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Not every location within those states carries the medication, so you’ll need to call ahead or check with the pharmacy.
Any pharmacy that dispenses mifepristone must complete a certification process with the FDA. This includes signing a Pharmacy Agreement Form and being able to ship the medication with tracking if fulfilling mail orders. Your prescriber also needs to be separately certified. When you receive a prescription, you’ll review and sign a Patient Agreement Form that outlines the risks of the treatment before the medication is dispensed.
In-Person Clinics
Abortion clinics, Planned Parenthood health centers, and independent providers still dispense mifepristone directly during office visits. This remains the most widely available in-person option, especially in states where retail pharmacies haven’t yet started stocking the medication.
The most comprehensive way to find a verified provider near you is AbortionFinder.org. It aggregates clinics affiliated with Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation, and the Abortion Care Network, along with independent providers. You enter your ZIP code, the first day of your last period (or indicate you’re unsure), and your age. The tool returns both in-person and virtual options, plus information about financial assistance organizations in your area.
How State Laws Affect Access
Your state’s abortion laws are the biggest factor in whether you can get mifepristone locally. In states with abortion bans, neither pharmacies nor clinics can legally dispense it for pregnancy termination, and telehealth providers based in those states can’t prescribe it.
However, 22 states and Washington, D.C. have passed shield laws that protect reproductive health care providers. Eight of those states have laws that explicitly protect providers who prescribe via telehealth regardless of where the patient is located. This is how some telehealth services are able to serve patients in restrictive states, though the legal landscape is complex and varies by provider. Aid Access, for example, has historically served patients in states with bans through providers based in shield-law states, though this carries legal gray areas for the patient depending on local enforcement.
The medication itself remains federally legal. In June 2024, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine that the challengers lacked legal standing to restrict mifepristone access. The ruling preserved the FDA’s 2016 and 2021 regulatory changes, which extended the gestational limit from 7 to 10 weeks and eliminated the requirement for an in-person visit before receiving a prescription.
What Mifepristone Costs
Cost varies widely depending on how and where you get the medication. In-clinic medication abortions average around $551, while telehealth services typically charge $250 or less. Some telehealth providers offer pricing based on income.
Thirteen states require both private insurance plans and Medicaid to cover abortion, which includes medication abortion with mifepristone. On the other end, 10 states prohibit private insurance from covering abortion except in limited circumstances. In 30 states and D.C., Medicaid only covers abortion in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment, following the federal Hyde Amendment restrictions. If you’re uninsured or your plan doesn’t cover the procedure, the National Network of Abortion Funds (listed on AbortionFinder.org) connects patients with organizations that help cover costs.
What to Expect From the Process
Regardless of where you get mifepristone, the process follows the same FDA-approved protocol. A certified prescriber evaluates whether you’re eligible, confirms the pregnancy is intrauterine (an ectopic pregnancy is a contraindication), and reviews the risks with you. You sign a Patient Agreement Form and receive a printed medication guide.
The treatment itself uses two medications. Mifepristone is taken first, followed by misoprostol 24 to 48 hours later. Through telehealth, both pills typically arrive in the same shipment, with instructions on timing. At a clinic or pharmacy, you may take the first pill on-site or at home depending on the provider’s approach. Most people complete the process at home over the course of one to two days.