What are the implications of abortion via telemedicine passing court muster?

If your health insurance is covered by UnitedHealthcare, you may soon opt to connect with a doctor virtually, without leaving your house.

The nation's largest health insurer announced in April that it's expanding coverage for video-based doctors visits.

It's the latest vote of confidence for what's known as telemedicine, where patients can connect to doctors with just a smartphone or a computer screen.

But one area where telemedicine has been limited is medication-induced abortions.

As it stands, Minnesota and Iowa are the only two states where doctors can prescribe abortion-inducing drugs over video. Iowa's program withstood a major court challenge last week when the state's supreme court struck down a rule that would have banned the practice.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Elizabeth Nash, who tracks state policies on abortion across the country at the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.