Maryland saw a leveling out in the number of abortions clinicians performed in 2024. The statistics could signal what the new demand for abortions in the state will be as bans on the procedures in other states have started to sink in.

About 39,300 abortions were performed in Maryland in 2024, about 1.5% more than in 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive care organization. However, 2023, saw dramatic increases compared to previous years, with a 26% increase compared to 2020. The Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade in the middle of 2022, triggering abortion bans in many more conservative states, while other states, like Maryland, bolstered their reproductive care policies.

Most of the abortions performed were for residents in-state, however, Maryland is seeing increased demand from states around the country that are banning abortion.

“Maryland has been a state that has received a lot of patients coming in from other states, generally, just because of where it's located, because of its if, because of its protective policies,” said Kimya Forouzan, the principal state policy advisor at the Guttmacher Institute.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, people came from as far as Texas and Florida for abortions and as near as West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

The largest pipeline came from Virginia, where abortion is legal up to 26 weeks, with 1,250 people traveling to Maryland for care.

Clinics and abortion funds have struggled to keep up with demand since Roe was struck down as costs have increased to get people to states where abortion is legal to get the care they need.

“Requests for assistance to our organization have continued to skyrocket,” said Lynn McCann-Yeh, the executive director of the Baltimore Abortion Fund. “We estimate that we would need about at least $6 million to $7 million to meet the current level of demand. Our organization's annual budget is about $2 million. Because funding is so limited, our organization has to operate with a fixed budget in order to make sure that assistance is available year-round. We're now operating week to week, and sometimes funds are exhausted within the first 24 to 48 hours, leaving hundreds of Maryland residents and patients with few, if any, alternatives.”

The Maryland legislature passed a bill this session that would unlock about $25 million in sequestered funding to help pay for abortion care for people who are uninsured or underinsured.

The money comes from a fund that was created when the Affordable Care Act passed 15 years ago and has been growing since then.

“It mandated that insurers collect a $1 per month premium from Marylanders, which is then placed in a special fund designated exclusively for abortion care,” said Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman during a Thursday Senate Finance Committee hearing. “The truth is, the true cost of abortion care coverage is mere pennies on the dollar, leaving a significant portion of these funds untouched.”

That premium only comes from insurance plans purchased on the Maryland Health Exchange. The fund has been growing by about $3 million a year and the surplus has been sitting in the bank since, Lierman said.

Using the money would not impact the state budget.