New York State Department of Financial Services

03/18/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/18/2026 13:18

Governor Hochul Announces New Funding Opportunity for Abortion Health Care Services

March 18, 2026
Albany, NY

Governor Hochul Announces New Funding Opportunity for Abortion Health Care Services

Governor Hochul Announces New Funding Opportunity for Abortion Health Care Services

$20 Million in State Grants for Supplemental Abortion Provider Support Program Available to Eligible Providers

State Department of Health Issued Letters to 22 Awardees Announcing Funding Availability

Governor Hochul today announced $20 million in state grants available to eligible providers to fund medication abortion health care services under the New York State Supplemental Abortion Provider Support Fund. The Department of Health has issued letters to 22 potential awardees notifying them of their eligibility for funding.

"We are facing a time when our fundamental rights are under attack by anti-choice politicians who are determined to dismantle established reproductive freedoms," Governor Hochul said. "New York will always remain a safe haven for people seeking care, and I will never back down from fighting to protect access to health care that thousands of New Yorkers rely on."

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, "Governor Hochul remains a champion for reproductive health care in New York State as abortion access remains under attack across much of the country. This critical funding ensures clinics have the support they need to continue to provide high quality health care services in communities across the state. New York remains committed to protecting these fundamental rights and remains a safe harbor for those in need of abortion care."

In May 2022, in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Governor Hochul allocated a $25 million Abortion Provider Support Fund to expand New York's provider capacity. As part of the FY25 enacted State budget, an additional $20 million in funding was made available to the New York State Department of Health through the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grants Program.

The Supplemental Abortion Provider Support Fund provides financial support to providers of medication abortion to ensure they can provide equitable access to timely and quality abortion services.

The program funding supports the following:

  • Recruitment, hiring, training and retention of clinical and medical staff
  • Costs associated with expanding the number of hours, days and alternate times for currently employed clinical staff to provide increased access to care
  • Care management and navigation services
  • Funding uncompensated health care services associated with abortion care
  • Outreach and marketing costs and other administrative or operational needs that increase access to abortion care

Governor Hochul has remained a champion of reproductive rights in New York State, ensuring abortion care remains available, affordable and accessible.

Since taking office, Governor Hochul has dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to support abortion providers, including additional funding in the FY26 Enacted Budget for capital investments to enable clinics to fund renovations and equipment upgrades to help facilities modernize and secure their operations.

Further, Governor Hochul worked with the Legislature last year to codify abortion as protected emergency medical care in New York State, requiring hospitals to provide this care, reinforcing access to abortion services when medically necessary.

Abortion access remains safe and accessible for New Yorkers and for those traveling from outside of New York State. Medication abortion is a safe method to end a pregnancy used by millions of people each year. Additional information about abortion access in New York State is available by visiting the  Know Your Rights website here, and resources to locate an abortion provider are available here.

Contact the Governor's Press Office

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Albany: (518) 474-8418
New York City: (212) 681-4640

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New York State Department of Financial Services published this content on March 18, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 18, 2026 at 19:18 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]