OFFICE OF DR. JAMES ARMSTRONG & SUSAN CAHILL, PA-C; MSW
795 SUNSET BLVD.
KAISPELL, MT 59901
406-752-8104

TAPE – 723

(Dialing, phone ringing 1x)

CLINIC: Good afternoon, Dr. Armstrong’s office. This is Wendy.

CLINIC: Hi. Yeah. I was calling to see if you guys do abortions there.

CLINIC: Yes, we do.

CALLER: Do you know how much it cost?

CLINIC: How far along are you?

CALLER: I’m not really sure. I just haven’t had my period since like January 3rd.

CLINIC: Okay. I can give you some price ranges– 4 to 12 weeks would be 495; 13 to 14 would be 600; and then 15 to 18 would be 850.

CALLER: If my last period was January 3rd, do you know how far along I am?

CLINIC: Have you taken a pregnancy test at all?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: You would need to do that to see first if you’re even pregnant, if it’s even positive. Let me just look here.

January 3rd. That was your first day?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Today’s March 5th. It looks like if you are, it’s going to be around almost nine weeks, eight-and-a-half to nine.

CALLER: So that would be how much?

CLINIC: That would be the 495.

CALLER: Okay. The thing is, I’m going to be 14 later on this month, and my friend told me that you guys would have to tell my parents. But my boyfriend’s 22. Could he just sign whatever it is, and you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: Actually, Montana state law, you do not have to reveal any of that information to your parents even if you’re under age.

CALLER: Oh, really?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Yeah, Montana state law, you do not. You can get an abortion at 15 or 16, and your parents don’t need to know anything about it.

CALLER: Does anybody have to know about my boyfriend or anything?

CLINIC: Nope, nope. All confidential.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: All between you and him, or just you, or however you want to do that.

Do you want to set up an appointment?

CALLER: Well, I have to call him to see. He’d be the only way I could get there. He said that he would pay for cash. He said he would pay cash for everything, but he doesn’t want to fill out any forms. Would he have to sign anything?

CLINIC: Nope, nope. It’s strictly confidential. All he does is pay and that’s it. And his name doesn’t even have to be revealed.

CALLER: So I could come in there and get a pregnancy test first though?

CLINIC: You can either do that or you can just get on one on the market too. They’re about as accurate as ours.

CALLER: Oh, really?

CLINIC: Yep. They’re about 98-99 percent accurate. You just would buy an over-the-counter pregnancy test. We would run one here too when you come in for your appointment.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Have you had your blood recently drawn anywhere?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: We would also need to have you come in and have your blood type, because we need to know if you’re a positive blood type or a negative blood type and whether or not to give you the Rhogam shot.

CALLER: Well, does that cost some more?

CLINIC: If you’re negative, yes. It would be an additional $35. We’d have to administer the shot.

CALLER: Oh, okay. So if the pregnancy test turned out that I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control there?

CLINIC: Um-hmm. Yep. Where are you located at?

CALLER: I’m in Big Fork.

CLINIC: In Big Fork? It might be cheaper for you to try to get birth control through your like your family planning or something also.

CALLER: Well, my boyfriend said he would pay for everything. And he gave me your number to call. So I think he wants to go to you guys.

CLINIC: Oh. Okay.

CALLER: But if I was on birth control, would you have to tell anybody about that?

CLINIC: No, no. Everything is strictly patient confidentiality.

CALLER: And you’re sure no one has to know about my boyfriend and me?

CLINIC: That’s correct.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Do you want to set something up?

CALLER: Well, what times do you have? I need to call my boyfriend to see when he can get off work.

CLINIC: Okay. Hold on just one moment, okay?

CALLER: All right.

(Pause)

CLINIC: You’re still there?

CALLER: Uh-huh.

CLINIC: Okay. It looks like we’ve got some openings the week of the 18th.

CALLER: Would that be all right?

CLINIC: So what I need to do is put you in touch with one of the medical assistants because there’s a lot of information that they’re going to have to get written down on a piece of paper — your name, your number and all that — so that they know where to get in touch with you. Do you have time to talk to one of them right now?

CALLER: Well, I need to call my boyfriend and make sure that the date is okay. Can I call you back?

CLINIC: Uh-huh. You sure can. It looks like it’s going to be like the latter part of that week. I’m looking at either that Thursday or that Friday.

CALLER: Okay. Well, how long does the whole thing take? Should he take the whole day off?

CLINIC: No, no. It’s going to probably be about an hour, hour-and-a-half.

CALLER: Do you have it in the morning or the afternoon?

CLINIC: It looks like I have morning and also have a couple afternoons too.

CALLER: Oh, all right.

CLINIC: You want to check with him real quick, and then call me back?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: When you call back, hon, ask for either Simone or Debbie. Because they’re one of our medical assistants, and they’re the ones that schedule those appointments, okay?

CALLER: Okay. And your name was Wendy?

CLINIC: Uh-huh.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: Thank you.

CLINIC: You’re welcome.

CALLER: Bye.

CLINIC: Bye bye.

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