Also known as a medically necessary abortion. An abortion that is performed when the pregnancy threatens the life or health of the pregnant woman. In some cases, an abortion may also be considered therapeutic when:

In Q&A guidance addressing the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 (PDA), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) took the view that insured health plans are not required to cover expenses arising from abortion unless either:

More recently, the Supreme Court in June 2022 overruled its longstanding decisions recognizing a right to abortion under the federal Constitution (Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey) (Dobbs. v. Jackson Women's Health Org., 142 S. Ct. 2228 (2022)). The Dobbs Court upheld a Mississippi law banning elective abortions of fetuses with a gestational age of at least 15 weeks and concluded that regulation of abortion must be returned to the states.

For more information, see: