It is a reasonable thing to want to know before you call anyone, and the absence of a published figure feels like evasion. It usually isn't. The price depends on things that cannot be known until you have been examined, and a clinic that posts one number is either quoting the cheapest possible case or leaving things out of it. What you can do is understand the components, and then ask for an estimate that covers all of them.
What the price is actually made of
An abortion is not a single item with a single price. It is a short series of things, several of which you would want regardless, and the total is the sum of them:
| Component | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Consultation and ultrasound | confirming the pregnancy, its location and the number of weeks |
| Pre-procedure tests | blood work and the checks needed before any anaesthesia |
| The procedure itself | varies with the number of weeks and the method |
| Anaesthesia and monitoring | sedation, and someone watching you while you are under |
| Recovery room time | a private place to come round, not a corridor chair |
| Medication | what you take home afterwards |
| Follow-up visit | the check a week or two later that confirms you have healed |
The single biggest variable is the number of weeks, because it changes the method, the length of the appointment and what has to happen beforehand. That is the real reason nobody can quote you accurately over the phone before a scan — and also why earlier is almost always cheaper.
Insurance: what applies and what doesn't
The short answer is that the procedure is normally paid privately. The longer answer has a few useful edges to it:
- Usually not covered — an elective termination is generally outside National Health Insurance, so you pay the clinic's own price.
- Sometimes covered — where there is a recognised medical indication. Whether yours qualifies is a clinical judgement, so it is worth asking directly rather than assuming it doesn't.
- Related care may differ — tests, treatment of a complication, or follow-up for a medical problem are ordinary care and are handled normally.
- Private indemnity insurance — most policies exclude elective termination. Check your own wording rather than relying on a general answer.
If you are a foreign resident, enrolment in National Health Insurance does not change the answer for the procedure itself, but it does change what everything around it costs. Being uninsured means private-pay throughout — ask for the estimate on that basis so there are no surprises.
How to get an estimate that is actually complete
The problem with most quoted figures is not that they are dishonest but that they answer a narrower question than the one you asked. Ask for the total, and name the parts:
- "Does this include the pre-procedure tests?"
- "Does this include anaesthesia and monitoring?"
- "Does this include the medication I take home?"
- "Does this include the follow-up visit?"
- "Is there anything that would change this number on the day, and what?"
That last question is the valuable one. A clinic that can tell you in advance what would move the price — and by roughly how much — is a clinic that has thought about your position. One that cannot is a clinic where you find out at the desk afterwards.
When a low price is the warning
Cost matters, and nobody should pretend otherwise. But in this particular procedure, the things that get removed to make a price low are the things that were protecting you:
- No proper anaesthesia or nobody monitoring you while you are sedated
- No recovery room — you are moved on as soon as you can stand
- No scan beforehand, which means nobody has ruled out an ectopic pregnancy
- No follow-up included, so an incomplete procedure goes undetected
- A technique chosen for speed rather than for protecting the uterine lining
The cheapest offers of all are the websites selling pills by post, and what is missing there is everything: no examination, no dating, no prescriber, no aftercare, and nobody to call at two in the morning. That is not a discount — it is the removal of the medical care.
Common questions
Why won't clinics post a price?
Because the biggest variable is the number of weeks, which isn't known until a scan. A single posted figure is usually the cheapest possible case, or leaves out tests, anaesthesia or follow-up.
Is it covered by National Health Insurance?
Usually not — an elective termination is generally private-pay. Where there is a recognised medical indication it can be different, so ask directly rather than assuming.
Does it cost more later in pregnancy?
Almost always, yes. Later means a different method, a longer appointment and more preparation beforehand. It is the main reason an early consultation saves money as well as options.
What should the estimate include?
Consultation and ultrasound, pre-procedure tests, the procedure, anaesthesia and monitoring, recovery room, take-home medication and the follow-up visit. Ask which of these are in the number you were given.
Can I discuss payment privately?
Yes. Raise it at the desk at the start if you have concerns about how a payment appears or who might see it. This is a routine request and staff handle it discreetly.
Talk to someone, privately
Ium in Seocho supports international women with confidential, English-speaking care. Reach out with a message or a call — no pressure, no judgment.
Book a private consultationThis article is general information, not medical advice, and does not replace a consultation with a licensed doctor. Details of care and current guidance should be confirmed directly with the clinic.
