(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Due to the rising costs of in-person care and an increase in patient volume needing financial assistance, Planned Parenthood of Illinois announced Wednesday the organization will close four health centers. However, service will expand at five other centers.

PPIL locations in Ottawa, Decatur, Bloomington and Englewood will close in March 2025. Meanwhile, patient appointments at Springfield, Champaign, Peoria, Roseland and Waukegan will expand to meet patient demand as needed.

PPIL also attributes the change in services to an “uncertain patient care landscape under a new national political administration and the need to create a sustainable future after the overturning of Roe v Wade.”

The locations slated for closure do not provide procedural abortion care.  PPIL will also plans to expand virtual options via telehealth appointments and via the PPDirect app.

Interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois Tonya Tucker said, “We made plans for the patient surge however rising care costs and lower reimbursement rates from insurers is jeopardizing PPIL’s sustainability. Unfortunately, this is the reality many other Planned Parenthood affiliates are facing in the rapidly evolving health care environment. We are making the difficult decisions today so we can continue providing care tomorrow and well into the future.”

In a press release, PPIL noted Illinois has seen the highest volume of abortion patients coming from other states. Since Roe v Wade was overturned in 2022, PPIL reports a 47% increase in overall abortion care patients and an unprecedented number of out-of-state patients traveling from more than 40 other states making up nearly a quarter of PPIL’s overall abortion patients. Before the Dobbs decisions, out-of-state patients accounted for 3% to 5%.

The increase combined with low reimbursement rates from insurers and the rising costs of providing care led to the PPIL realignment.

PPIL plans to offer medication abortion through the PPDirect app. To receive medication abortion, PPIL said it will require a patient using the app the fill out a questionnaire that is then reviewed by a medical professional. Then the medication abortion pills are mailed to patients who qualify, or the patient is scheduled for an in-person appointment at a health center.