This story was originally published by Verite News
Planned Parenthood’s New Orleans Health Center reopened last week (Oct. 14), but some patients will notice differences in how they access care compared to before the clinic closed a year ago. Advocates for women’s health welcomed the return of Planned Parenthood’s New Orleans Health Center, but some patients will notice differences in how they access care compared to before the clinic closed a year ago.
The center is under new management, Planned Parenthood Great Plains. As a new healthcare provider in Louisiana, the affiliate is still securing contracts with most private insurance providers and Medicaid plans.
Most of the clinic’s patients before the closure were covered by Medicaid. However, Planned Parenthood Great Plains CEO Emily Wales said the New Orleans clinic still accepts patients regardless of their ability to pay.
If you’re thinking about booking an appointment, here’s what you need to know.
How can I afford services?
According to its website, the New Orleans Health Center can currently only accept private health insurance from two companies: Aetna and Provider Plus. Wales said they’ve applied to most of the insurance providers in Louisiana, including Medicaid health plans, but securing contracts can take months.
“ Any insurance contract is not known for being speedy in getting executed, and I think Medicaid, in particular, can be a long process,” Wales said.
The one-year federal ban on Planned Parenthood centers receiving Medicaid funding ended in July, opening the opportunity for the New Orleans location to start accepting Medicaid plans again. More than 60% of Planned Parenthood patients at its Louisiana centers — including its Baton Rouge location, which is still closed — were on Medicaid in 2025.
But Wales said her organization has fundraised for months to prepare for covering care for uninsured patients and while waiting to be approved for more insurance plans. The Planned Parenthood website encourages people who have Medicaid to book an appointment, and someone from the clinic can explain the available options. Planned Parenthood has a patient support fund to subsidize the cost of visits and medication for patients who can’t afford care.
Wales said the location uses a sliding scale system where what the patient pays depends on their finances and need. She said they can also help patients receive more expensive forms of care, like selecting an intrauterine device instead of birth control pills.
“ We’re gonna help you find resources to get you the option that matters most, not because of your own financial challenges, but because you should get the care you want,” Wales said. “Whatever your finances are, whatever your zip code is, we want you to get the care you need.”
What services are available?
The New Orleans location provides several in-person and telehealth services, including:
- Birth control
- Emergency contraception (morning-after pill)
- Gender-affirming care
- HIV testing and treatment
- Pregnancy testing and planning
- Sexual and reproductive concerns, including UTI and vaginal infection care
- Sexually-transmitted infection testing and treatment
- Vasectomies
- Perimenopause and menopause care
- Cancer screenings and breast health services
- Vaccines
- Wellness and preventive care
Wales said the staff at the New Orleans clinic are local to the community, and the organization has tried to talk with other reproductive health providers about gaps and challenges when providing services in the area.
Because their clinicians and medical assistants are from New Orleans, they will help the clinic address any barriers to care that might arise as they seek to serve some of the most vulnerable, such as Black women, in a maternity care desert. Wales said part of the goal is to prevent stigma and have conversations with community members about the clinic’s reopening. The clinicians are also advised to take their time with patients.
“ We are not known as an organization for prioritizing efficiency over patient experience,” said Wales.
She said they also want to maintain their reputation of care without judgment, especially for gender-affirming care — both feminizing and masculinizing — and STI testing.
”One of the things we’re known for just as a hallmark is knowing that when you come in, we’re not gonna judge you, and we’re gonna treat you with dignity,” Wales said.
Gender-affirming care is one of their largest growing services, and Wales said their staff is equipped to talk about different options for hormone therapy available.
“ We know you just gotta meet patients where they are and hear what their needs are in real time,” she said.
The previous management, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, was never licensed to provide abortion care in Louisiana. Under the new owner, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, abortions remain illegal and won’t be provided at the clinic. But their clinic can help patients find an abortion care provider out-of-state and help coordinate assistance with partners like the Louisiana Abortion Fund if patients need it.
One of Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ Kansas clinics, the Pittsburgh Health Center, is one of the closest abortion clinics for New Orleans residents — second-only to the Planned Parenthood clinic in Carbondale, Illinois.
What’s Planned Parenthood Great Plains?
Planned Parenthood Great Plains is an affiliate of the national reproductive rights advocacy group, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.
Including New Orleans, the affiliate operates 14 clinics across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Its four Kansas clinics are the only sites where it’s legal to provide abortion care.
How is Planned Parenthood Great Plains reaching out to the community?
Wales said their organization is working in partnership with different providers and nonprofits in the area, including The Clinic NOLA, Repro TLC and the Louisiana Abortion Fund.
It’s also connecting with the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University to enlist student volunteers to escort patients into and out of the clinic.
”People have not been territorial or concerned about us coming back, it’s just been like, ‘Great. We need you. Let’s get to work,’” said Wales.
The health center will also start hosting events, such as a vasectomy clinic where patients can receive the service at free or reduced cost.
To see a clinician, Wales said people can book appointments online or walk in, even if all online slots are reserved, to see a clinician that same day or the next day.