November 7, 2024
The New Brunswick Women’s Council welcomes the removal of abortion from Regulation 84-20 of the Medical Services Payments Act and government’s accompanying commitment to take further steps to increase abortion access in New Brunswick.
Until today, the regulation prevented Medicare from covering the cost of surgical abortions performed outside of approved hospitals. Older versions of the regulation had been even more stringent.
“For the first time since abortion was fully decriminalized in 1988, access to this essential health care procedure in New Brunswick will not be shaped by restrictions that undermine the rights of women and people who belong to gender minorities,” said Council co-chair Michèle Nadeau of YWCA Moncton. “We have heard many rationales for these restrictions over the years, but they were ultimately about limiting and stigmatizing abortion care.”
The Council also welcomes government’s recognition that this amendment on its own will not increase abortion access immediately as there are currently no providers offering surgical abortion care outside of hospitals in the province.
“Government and its partners now need to ensure that the amendment of 84-20 is not just symbolic but leads to substantive improvements in abortion access,” said Council co-chair Jennifer Richard of Sexual Violence New Brunswick. “It is promising that this has already been identified as a next step.”
The Council has advised government that it must also be prepared to address new challenges that may arise from surgical abortions being publicly-funded outside of hospitals for the first time. This includes ensuring that essential connected services, such as ultrasounds, will be covered by Medicare when provided outside of Horizon or Vitalité facilities as part of abortion care.
The Council also recognizes the many collective years of advocacy, education, and organizing that led to today's change.
“While we commend government for removing this restriction, we must recognize the many people, collectives, and organizations that fought for this change for thirty-six years,” said Beth Lyons, executive director of the Council. “We also want to acknowledge the two clinics, the Morgentaler Clinic and Clinic 554, that provided surgical abortion care outside of hospitals for years despite this restriction and other barriers—and did so with a policy to never turn away anyone who couldn’t pay.”
Information on current abortion access options in New Brunswick is available via the Horizon and Vitalité Regional Health Authorities, 811, and non-government sources such as My Choice NB and Action Canada.
The New Brunswick Women’s Council is an independent public advisory body on women’s equality issues.
11-07-2024
Media contact: Melissa Wah, New Brunswick Women’s Council, [email protected]
