Out-of-state patients looking for repro care are now protected in Allegheny County

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato signed an executive order last week protecting out-of-state patients seeking reproductive and gender affirming care in the county.

The right to an abortion and to seek other reproductive health care is currently protected in Pennsylvania, but that’s not the case in many states across the US.

That’s why last week, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato signed an executive order making it clear that anyone traveling to the county for reproductive and gender-affirming health care would be protected—as are providers who offer such care to out-of-state patients. 

In a statement, Innamorato said the US Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 was a “wakeup call that our rights are not as permanent as many of us may have believed,” calling bodily autonomy “frighteningly fragile.”

Executive Order #2024-2 Allegheny Shield prohibits county officials, employees, and departments from using county resources to help interstate investigations into people seeking and providing abortions. The executive order says the county “has a duty to protect its citizens from the extra-legal overreach of overzealous out-of-state prosecutors seeking to hold Allegheny County residents accountable to foreign laws.”

“Abortion, fertility treatment, and gender affirming care is all under attack and people are traveling to Allegheny County from other states for care,” Innamorato said. “We’ll do everything we can in our power at Allegheny County to protect our health care providers, our residents, and guests who come from out of town for care.” 

Only two freestanding medical facilities provide abortion care to patients in Allegheny County. Since Roe was overturned, they have reported up to a 40% spike in serving patients fleeing anti-abortion states, according to the Women’s Law Project.

Dr. Sheila Ramgopal is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist in Pittsburgh. She said it’s important to be able to provide patients with reproductive care without fear of being prosecuted.

“As an abortion provider, I see patients every day who are having to jump over so many hurdles to not only get abortions but also deal with the complexities of abortion in this country,” Ramgopal said. “I take care of people every day who believe and do not believe in abortion. No matter where you stand politically, if you want or need an abortion, and have the means to do so, you will get an abortion. Basic human rights include the ability to control your own body and health care.”

Ramgopal also provides gender affirming care, and has seen more and more clients from other states and counties coming to Allegheny to access hormones and gender affirming surgery.

“The regional restrictions that we see on abortion access is mirrored by the restrictions we are seeing increasing to prevent gender affirming care across this country,” Ramgopal said.

In July 2022, one month after Roe was overturned, then-Gov. Tom Wolf (D) signed an executive order protecting out-of-state individuals seeking abortion services in the commonwealth. Since then, local governments have looked for ways to create several layers of protection for people who cannot access care near them.