Family Planning Associates Medical Group

Family Planning Associates Medical Group, LTD, referred to on its own site as FPA or FPA Chicago, describes itself as "one of the most trusted independent abortion providers in the United States" and states that patients have come to FPA since 1988 for family planning services. It publishes a single address, 659 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661, in downtown Chicago, and a single phone number, (312) 707-8988. The site states that its medical staff is led by a team of board certified OB/GYN physicians, and that staff also includes nurses, medical assistants, technicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists and registered nurses. The staff page names Allison A. Cowett, MD, MPH as Medical Director. The home page states that most of the staff has worked at FPA "for over ten years". FPA publishes that it is "committed to providing confidential and personalized care" and that "Patient education is an important part of our practice". Its website privacy policy page states: "Family Planning Associates takes the security and privacy of your personal information extremely seriously. We will not trade, sell, or rent your personally identifiable information." That wording is the website privacy policy; questions about the confidentiality of care itself should be put to the clinic. The scheduling page states that FPA supports all pregnancy options and offers referrals for prenatal care, adoption and counseling. The website is credited to Partners For Choice.

Lists Homewood, Addison, Alsip, Arlington Heights, Berwyn, Bolingbrook, Chicago, and Cicero as a location. Names Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky as a service area. Areas beyond these are not published.

The site does not publish a price list. No fee, cost, rate or price figure for any service appears on the pages reviewed, so no prices or estimates can be quoted here. What the site does say about fees is: "Our fees are based on the length of pregnancy and your out-of-pocket cost will depend on your insurance coverage." Anyone who needs a cost or a quote must call (312) 707-8988 and get it from the clinic directly. On insurance, the site lists contracted plans as Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO (stated as accepted for gynecological services as well as abortion services), Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO of Illinois (stated as accepted for abortion services only, with a referral from the primary care physician or insurance company required), and Illinois Medicaid (stated as accepted for both gynecological and abortion services). The site adds that this list "is subject to change at any time" and that coverage information given by an insurer "is never guaranteed". Coverage must be confirmed with FPA and with the insurer before an appointment; it cannot be confirmed here. FPA states it offers cash fees for patients paying out of pocket, can in most cases provide an itemized bill to submit to an insurance company, and can refer patients to another provider. On assistance, the site names outside abortion funding organizations it works with: the Chicago Abortion Fund, the Hoosier Abortion Fund (Indiana) and the National Network of Abortion Funds, and says help may also be available for transportation. It states financial assistance is limited and offered only to patients who have no other way to pay. Eligibility is decided by the clinic and those funds, not stated here.

FPA Chicago publishes one location. The address is 659 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661, shown on the site as "Chicago | Downtown". The phone number published across the site is (312) 707-8988, with the line "Speak with our staff now". The site publishes an email address, info@fpachicago.com, and a fax number for referrals, (312) 707-9223. The site does not publish opening hours. No days of the week and no opening or closing times appear on the pages reviewed; the testing page refers only to "regular business hours" without stating them. Anyone who needs the hours, or wants to know when the clinic is open, should call (312) 707-8988 and confirm. Appointments can be booked online at any time through the clinic's own scheduling page, https://www.fpachicago.com/schedule-an-appointment/, and the site says patients who are uncomfortable providing personal information online can call instead to schedule. FPA states patients can contact it by phone, e-mail or through its live chat service. The about page includes the line "Se habla en Espanol". A separate translation services page states that staff in the office speak Spanish, French, Creole and Tagalog, that FPA contracts with a company providing translation by telephone and video for all other languages, and that if a patient cannot bring an interpreter, FPA will provide one at no cost. Every page carries a "Quick Exit" control. For the service area around this Chicago address, the site publishes an Areas We Serve page at https://www.fpachicago.com/areas-we-serve/.

Appointments can be booked online through the clinic's own scheduling page at https://www.fpachicago.com/schedule-an-appointment/, which FPA describes as secure online appointment scheduling for abortion, birth control and gynecological health services. That page lists separate appointment types for medication abortion and for in-office abortion procedures; which type applies to any individual is a question for the clinic, not one to be answered from a website. Booking by phone is also offered: the site says patients uncomfortable providing personal information online can call (312) 707-8988 to schedule. The home page states "Immediate Appointments Available", and the testing page states "Same day and next day appointments are available for your convenience." The site does not publish opening hours or a booking cut-off time, so actual availability has to be confirmed with the clinic. FPA publishes an appointment checklist. It asks patients to have their insurance card ready so coverage can be verified before the scheduled appointment if they have private health insurance or an HMO policy; to tell staff if they are uninsured, because discounted fees and financial assistance can be discussed; and to tell staff about any health conditions, drug allergies or regularly taken medications, including an asthma inhaler, insulin or blood pressure medication. Registration forms, named on the site as a Medical History Form and a Demographics Information Form, can be completed online before arrival, then printed and brought in on the day of the appointment. FPA states it will call to check insurance coverage before the visit. Any question about what to expect or how to prepare should go to the clinic on (312) 707-8988.

FPA Chicago operates from one clinic address in downtown Chicago and publishes a wide list of areas served around it. The site states that Family Planning Associates Medical Group "serves patients from all over the US everyday in our Chicago abortion clinic" and names many Illinois places, among them Chicago and suburbs such as Addison, Alsip, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Berwyn, Bolingbrook, Cicero, Des Plaines, Elmhurst, Evanston, Hoffman Estates, Joliet, Naperville, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Orland Park, Schaumburg, Skokie, Tinley Park, Waukegan and Wheaton. A dedicated Areas We Serve page is published at https://www.fpachicago.com/areas-we-serve/. Beyond Illinois, the site states FPA is "honored to accept patients from Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Iowa", and publishes a resources page for patients coming from outside Illinois that lists national and regional support organizations. That page also mentions a hotel one block from the office, Homewood Suites at 118 North Jefferson, Chicago, IL 60661, and says a discount can be obtained there using FPA's corporate code entered in the special rates section. Appearing on an areas served list says nothing about cost, eligibility or availability for any individual person; the clinic is the only source for that. All care is delivered at the single Chicago address, 659 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661, and the phone number for any question about location, travel or an appointment is (312) 707-8988.