Planned Parenthood’s ‘Virtual Health Centers’ expand as it closes in-person facilities

As Planned Parenthood shutters brick-and-mortar facilities, it is driving clients to its new online services business model which increasingly relies upon telehealth — including the mailing of abortion pills. Its “Virtual Health Centers (VHCs)” are popping up across the country as part of a larger restructuring plan put in place years ago.

Key Takeaways:

• In 2020, Planned Parenthood began offering telehealth services at all of its affiliates (49 at the time).

• The pressure to remain financially solvent has driven Planned Parenthood to create and expand its Virtual Health Clinics as well.

• Though multiple affiliates have announced the closures of brick-and-mortar facilities, many of those affiliates have also announced the expansion of their telehealth offerings and launch of Virtual Health Clinics.

The Details:

Telehealth vs. Virtual Health Centers

As the American Life League’s (ALL) 2025 Planned Parenthood facilities report explained:

The main difference between virtual health centers and telehealth visits is that the virtual health center is operated by a state’s Planned Parenthood affiliate, and only customers living in that specific state can make these appointments. For example, the Virginia League Virtual Health Center website states that “you must be located in Virginia to receive virtual care or medications.”

The VHCs and telehealth are similar, however, in the fact that Planned Parenthood is able use both to “prescribe birth control, abortion pills, and gender hormone drugs to an individual via a visit by phone, computer, or tablet” and then will send them either “to the patient’s local pharmacy or directly to the patient’s home address, as long as it is located within that virtual health center’s state.”

In 2020, Planned Parenthood rolled out its national telehealth program, and Planned Parenthood’s 2022-23 annual report acknowledged that ALL 49 affiliates at that time had begun offering “telehealth” services. Recent court documents reveal that today, the organization has consolidated to 47 affiliates.

According to ALL, “133 of the 509 Planned Parenthood facilities offer telehealth specifically for abortion pills.”

Increasing Virtual Health Centers Due to “New Pressures”

In May, Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor who maps brick-and-mortar abortion clinics across the U.S., told NPR that the rise of telehealth abortion has put “new pressures in the older-school, brick-and-mortar facilities.”

Pro-abortion group #WeCount claimed, “By the end of 2024, 1 in 4 abortions was provided via telehealth,” and in its 2023-24 report, Planned Parenthood announced that “Virtual Health Centers (VHC) have been introduced at 23 Planned Parenthood affiliates,” with “[p]atients book[ing] more than 47,000 appointments through VHCs last year.”

Yet ALL’s more recent 2025 analysis stated that Planned Parenthood now operates “43 of these virtual health centers in 34 states, with some affiliates operating two to three in one state,” and “23 offer abortion pills.”

The abortion corporation recently claimed 70% of its abortion business is done by abortion pill, which is no longer required to be dispensed at in-person appointments. The Biden FDA permanently dropped this requirement in 2021.

Virtual Health Center Growth Over Time

2020: Planned Parenthood Greater New York (PPGNY) launched “virtual health care services to connect patients to their trusted providers without having to visit a health center,” reported the Hudson Valley Press.

2023: Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley (PSGV) expanded abortion access by “launching a new abortion pill via telehealth service.” The announcement claimed that PSGV’s Virtual Health Center “aims to increase access to safe and legal abortion care and provide individuals with a convenient and confidential option to receive care from a Planned Parenthood provider they trust.”

2023: The Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas (PPGTX) 2023 Impact Report announced the launch of the Greater Texas Virtual Health Center.

2025 (March): Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaiʻi, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky (PPGNHAIK) announced the “launch of its Virtual Health Center in Kentucky” and announced its “Virtual Health Center in Indiana” along with a virtual center in Idaho. PPGNHAIK also announced “the launch of our new Virtual Health Center [VHC] ” in Washington State, Western Washington, and Hawaii, with the VHC touted as “a lifeline, bringing expert, nonjudgmental care directly to patients, no matter where they live.” The month prior, in February, PPGNHAIK

2025 (May): Planned Parenthood of Michigan (PPMI) announced its VHC launch, where clients can “access birth control, emergency contraception, hormone therapy, and medication abortion through one simple-to-navigate virtual health center.”

2025 (estimated): While a VHC operated by Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) doesn’t show an official launch date or list abortion under services, the first archive for that center shows April 2025. The center also operates a “Mobile Health Center” which dispenses abortion pills.

Closed Clinics Redirect Clients to Online Services

California: Planned Parenthood announced closures of five brick and mortar facilities and is redirecting clients to telehealth services. Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest already has a telehealth abortion center, where, despite the federal Comstock Act which prohibits the mailing of abortion drugs, the facility will ship the pills “via FedEx in discreet packaging in one to three business days,” according to its website. Planned Parenthood currently operates two virtual health centers in the state.

Illinois: When recent closures in Illinois were announced, WBEZ reported “Planned Parenthood intends to… begin offering more telehealth appointments and medication abortions through the PPDirect app.” In fact, Planned Parenthood of Illinois had already announced a plan to “expand[] virtual options via telehealth appointments and the PPDirect app to minimize patient disruption.” The affiliate operates VHCs in Chicago and Fairview Heights.

Indiana: In closing a facility in Indiana, Redlion.com reported that “Planned Parenthood’s Indiana regional president, Rebecca Gibron, said it’s a move to consolidate resources and focus on the organization’s remaining health centers and growing its telehealth operations.” LMP.org reported that its clients “will be able to access… expanded telehealth options.” The affiliate announced the opening of its “virtual center” in Indiana earlier this year.

Iowa/Minnesota: While announcing closures, Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS) told NBC it planned to keep investing in telemedicine services and sees 20,000 patients a year virtually. In May, PPNCS announced “In the coming year, PPNCS will reduce the number of brick-and-mortar sites to create regional centers for onsite care while continuing to invest in virtual and online care.”

Michigan: Planned Parenthood of Michigan (PPMI) previously announced plans to “restructure,” consolidate, and “permanently close” multiple facilities, adding that “over the next few months” PPMI would “work to expand its Virtual Health Center to offer telehealth 7 days per week.” PPMI told Michigan Public Radio earlier this year it was planning to expand “telehealth capacity by 40% by summer.”

About 20% of PPMI’s patients were telehealth patients in FY 2024 (10,500 out of 51,500 patients total). But PPMI leaders told media they want to increase telehealth services in the state. “PPMI leaders said they’re hoping to help offset the closures by ramping up telehealth access, to eventually be able to offer 40% more virtual appointments than they currently do, including new weekend and evening hours. ‘With the expansion of telehealth, I think we’ll actually be able to see more patients,’” said PPMI president and CEO Paula Thornton Greear. “PPMI’s virtual health center is ‘our most popular health center.'”

New York: Closures have also been announced in New York where PPGNY operates a VHC.

Ohio: Last month, Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region announced the closing of its Springfield and Hamilton clinics, yet PPSWO “will still provide telehealth services,” noted the Ohio Capital Journal. Nan Whaley, president and CEO of Southwest Ohio, told Cincinnati.com it was “in the organization’s best interest to close” the facilities “to preserve access to abortion services and gender-affirming care for patients coming from across the region.” PPSWO operates a virtual health center in the state, as does Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio.

Texas: The “closure” of Planned Parenthood in Tyler, Texas, was not actually a closure, as Planned Parenthood was working to expand telehealth there. According to News-Journal.com, “Telehealth appointments remain available Monday through Friday.” The affiliate is run by PPGTX, which operates a VHC.

Utah: In April, Planned Parenthood of Utah announced closures while claiming it would expand telehealth. “We believe that by consolidating our health care delivery and expanding telehealth, we will be in a better position to continue serving those who rely on us for health care,” said Sarah Stoesz, Interim CEO of the affiliate, which also operates a virtual health center in the state.

Vermont: Closures have also been reported in Vermont where a VHC has been created.

Why It Matters:

Competition from independently run and largely unregulated virtual abortion dispensaries could be putting financial pressure on Planned Parenthood to close brick and mortar facilities and move online. Virtual dispensaries are profitable because they require fewer overhead costs while providing less than a few minutes of implied care with little to no follow-up.

Dr. Jamie Phifer, founder and medical director of Abortion On Demand (AOD), acknowledged that “per patient cost is relatively low” with virtual care — so low that rather than cut the cost to abortion clients, AOD donates “60 percent of our profits to Keep Our Clinics of the Abortion Care Network.”

Caitlin Meyers agreed, telling NPR Michigan that Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers have “been thrown into a bit of turmoil.”

Many “were seeing lots of people traveling to them out of banned states,” and “at the exact same time, the rise of telehealth abortion, which has certainly expanded access, is forcing all of these facilities to confront a very changed landscape of providing services… Put more simply, it’s got to change their business model.”

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