Arizona’s outdated abortion laws—like the 24-hour waiting period and telehealth ban—amplify the harm of federal Medicaid cuts under the Big Beautiful Bill.
📰 Arizona Abortion Access Faces Dual Threats: Federal Cuts + State Restrictions
The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) in July 2025 is being hailed as a political victory by some, but for Arizona patients, especially those seeking abortion care, the consequences will be immediate and severe. The bill enacts massive cuts to Medicaid and social safety nets, and Arizona’s own outdated abortion restrictions only magnify the damage.
At Choices Women’s Center, an independent abortion clinic in Tucson, we are already seeing how federal and state-level barriers are combining to threaten patient access, particularly for low-income and rural communities.
🚨 Medicaid Cuts Will Strip Reproductive Care from Thousands in Arizona
The OBBB slashes over $1 trillion from Medicaid nationwide, with Arizona losing more than $2.1 billion annually. Up to 500,000 Arizonans—many of them women, pregnant people, and parents—may lose coverage.
For patients seeking contraceptive care, this means:
- No coverage for essential services
- Increased out-of-pocket costs
- Fewer providers, especially in rural counties
These cuts couldn’t come at a worse time. Arizona already faces provider shortages and long travel distances for reproductive care. Stripping funding only widens the gap.
⛔ Arizona’s 24-Hour Waiting Period Adds Costly, Dangerous Delays
Arizona law still enforces a mandatory 24-hour waiting period and requires two in-person visits for abortion—even for early medication abortion.
This “two-trip requirement” is medically unnecessary and disproportionately harms:
- Low-income patients
- People without paid time off
- Patients traveling from tribal, border, and rural communities
In a post-OBBB world, where fewer people have coverage and more face transportation or childcare insecurity, this law becomes a ticking time bomb for timely, equitable care.
📵 Telemedicine Abortion Is Still Banned in Arizona
Despite FDA approval and national data confirming the safety of telemedicine abortion, Arizona law still prohibits it. This ban prevents patients from:
- Accessing care remotely
- Avoiding unnecessary travel
- Getting help sooner when delays matter most
Arizona’s telemedicine abortion ban is a relic of a pre-Roe era. Keeping it in place after voters passed Prop 139—which enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution—is both unethical and legally questionable.
⚖️ Choices Women’s Center Is Fighting Back
Our clinic is proud to be a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging Arizona’s 24-hour waiting period and telemedicine abortion ban. These laws weren’t just harmful before the OBBB—they’re now actively blocking care from those hit hardest by federal Medicaid cuts.
We’re fighting for:
- Evidence-based abortion care
- Telehealth access for medication abortion
- Legal and medical autonomy for Arizona patients
💡 What You Can Do
If you believe in protecting access to abortion care in Arizona, here are four immediate steps you can take:
- Share this article with your networks to raise awareness.
- Donate to patient support funds, including our soon-to-launch Choices Abortion Network (CAN).
- Contact your Arizona lawmakers and urge them to repeal outdated TRAP laws.
- Vote for candidates who understand the importance of these issues.
Let’s be clear:
The Big Beautiful Bill threatens the foundation of public health care in this country. But Arizona’s own abortion laws—if left unchecked—will turn federal harm into a full-blown crisis. We must act now to protect access, protect patients, and protect the future of reproductive rights in Arizona.