NYC Health + Hospitals today announced the second anniversary of telehealth abortion care through its Virtual ExpressCare service. In the past year, the service has provided over 3,100 virtual visits, mailed over 1,000 medication abortion kits, and referred an additional 1,300 patients for in-person care. The average wait time for a virtual visit is less than 5 minutes. Over 85% of the patients identify as people of color. The service has a 90% patient satisfaction rate and a Net Promoter Score of 73. The service allows patients in NYC seeking abortion care to speak to a New York State-licensed health care professional on demand by video or phone for an assessment, counseling and access to medication if eligible. The telehealth service is available 7 days a week, 9am - 9pm, and will provide patients with access to safe and legal abortion care. The NYC Health + Hospitals Virtual ExpressCare service is available in over 200 languages and can be accessed at expresscare.nyc or by calling 631-EXP-Care (631-397-2273). A flyer about the program is available in 13 languages: English, Spanish, Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, French, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Russian, Simple Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Urdu.
“Through Virtual ExpressCare, NYC Health + Hospitals makes abortion care accessible to all New Yorkers, connecting patients to a healthcare provider within minutes,” said Afsheen Mazhar, MPA, MS, Executive Director of NYC Health + Hospitals’ Virtual ExpressCare. “Our telehealth abortion service has made a huge impact to thousands of patients in the past year, and we are proud to support our patients with immediate reproductive care.”
“Telehealth continues to expand access for New Yorkers, circumventing many common barriers to care such as taking time off work and finding/paying for child care,” said Marisa Nadas, MD, MPH, System Director of Complex Family Planning at NYC Health + Hospitals. “Our telehealth abortion service allows people to access abortion care from the location and at the time that works best for them. This is reproductive choice in action.”
The telehealth abortion service by NYC Health + Hospitals is based in and for New York City. Medication is mailed to New York City addresses only and is available to clinically eligible patients who are up to 10 weeks into their pregnancy.
NYC Health + Hospitals offers a wide range of facility-based obstetric and gynecologic services, including primary care, family planning, abortion care, prenatal through delivery care, midwifery and referrals for doula services, postpartum care, breastfeeding and lactation services, breast exams, nutrition, behavioral health referrals, preventative care, first and second trimester abortion care, and vaccinations. Gynecology services include menopause and fibroid treatments, as well as specialty practices for gynecologic cancers, pelvic pain and endometriosis. Patients wishing to make an in-person appointment can call 1-844-NYC-4NYC.
In addition to abortion care, Virtual ExpressCare can offer patients immediate and confidential care for an array of physical and behavioral health concerns, including COVID-19, minor injuries, fever and flu, upper respiratory infections, anxiety, depression, and substance use issues. Virtual ExpressCare is available 24/7, 365 days a year to all New Yorkers at expresscare.nyc or calling 631-EXP-Care (631-397-2273).
Launched in 2020, Virtual ExpressCare has grown to offer approximately 90,000 virtual visits annually. The service played a key role in the City’s and State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Virtual ExpressCare partnered with the New York State Department of Health to offer COVID-19 therapeutics through the State’s new COVID-19 hotline, 888-TREAT-NY. The service provides same or next day life-saving COVID-19 therapeutic treatment.
NYC Health + Hospitals serves patients regardless of their ability to pay. The new telehealth abortion care will be covered like any other service. Patients with insurance may need to pay a copay. If patients cannot afford to pay or are uninsured, Virtual ExpressCare will provide care and connect patients to trained financial counselors who can help them enroll in health insurance coverage or financial assistance through NYC Care, Medicaid, and Medicare, with per visit fees as low as $0, depending on patients’ income and family size.
