FREDERICTON — Surgical abortions administered outside hospitals in New Brunswick will now be fully funded by medicare, Premier Susan Holt announced Thursday, reversing a controversial rule from 1984 that limited the procedure's availability across the province.
Before the change, the government would only cover the cost of the surgical procedures if they were performed in one of three hospitals. Holt, whose Liberals came to power in an election last month, said her government's decision is an important first step to improve abortion access.
"We believe that abortion is health care, and that everyone deserves access to the care that they need, when and where they need it, and so our team is proud to take this one small step," she told reporters.
She said, however, that surgical abortions outside hospitals "will not become accessible tomorrow," because of the preparatory work needed before clinics are able to administer the procedure in the community.
New Brunswick will now be aligned with most other provinces by covering the cost of abortions whether they are administered in hospitals or clinics, Holt said.
Health Minister Dr. John Dornan said the old rule from the 1984 Medical Services Payment Act effectively restricted surgical abortions because of the distance required by some people to travel to one of the three hospitals that perform the procedure: the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst, as well as the Moncton Hospital and the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre, both in Moncton.
"It's 2024 and it's Canada. In 1803 it was punishable by death to participate in an abortion," Dornan said. "We've come a long way. In 1985 it was included in the Health Care Act that abortion should be accessible to all women in Canada."
But driving from Edmundston to Bathurst — a round trip of more than 400 kilometres — "that's not accessible," he said.
"So what we are doing today is removing that impediment to access to a health-care service that's supposed to be available to everybody in Canada."
The government's next step is to work with groups, including the province's medical society and regional health authorities, to establish how abortions will be provided in communities.
The previous Progressive Conservative government had refused to pay for surgical abortions outside hospitals, saying women across the province had access to medical abortions, which are administered with prescription medication.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Union sued the province in 2021, arguing the restrictions violate the Canada Health Act and Charter rights to liberty, security, privacy and equality.
Harini Sivalingam of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said she expects her organization will drop the lawsuit. "We welcome this news to amend the regulations and allow equitable funding for an essential health-care service that will benefit countless women and gender diverse people in the province," she said.
Green Party legislature member Megan Mitton said she was cautiously optimistic at the news, given that the government's announcement is "on paper," adding that she is waiting to see the health services put in place across the province.
"But this is an important step that I'm glad is finally happening."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
Hina Alam, The Canadian Press
