Ms. Chelian runs three abortion clinics in the Detroit suburbs, where competition is so fierce that each clinic owner is looking for an edge.

Many independent clinic owners say they survive only by finding a way to distinguish themselves from Planned Parenthood.

Albany is already aflutter with protests from clinic owners, upstate health care providers and advocates for the poor, who either oppose this newly sliced pie or want their own piece of it.

But some clinic owners say it is unrealistic to rely entirely on Federal protection.

The clinic owner has denied allegations of wrongdoing in court filings.

Some clinic owners acknowledge pressure to do superfluous tests.

A lawyer representing the clinic owner, Merle Hoffman, said she was not available to comment.

The clinic owners didn't want to comment.

"We got the first call from a clinic owner in Orlando around 9 o'clock this morning, and immediately put out an alert to all the clinics," Ms. Smeal said.

"This intransigence of ours is a just intransigence," said Miriam Sifontes, 51, a medical clinic owner.