OTTAWA, ON, November 8, 2024 - Access to abortion is key to ensuring everyone is able to make decisions about their bodies, their families, and their health. This week, New Brunswick's new provincial government is repealing a decades-long ban on coverage for procedural abortion outside of hospital settings, opening the door to improved abortion access in the province.
Previously, Regulation 84-20 prevented Medicare from covering the cost of procedural abortions outside of approved hospital settings—a violation of the Canada Health Act. This resulted in the closure of community abortion clinics, and forced people to travel outside of their communities to access procedural abortion care.
Now, procedural abortion care will be covered in hospitals and community clinics, in addition to Mifegymiso (medication abortion), which can be prescribed by primary care providers and taken at home. When we support and expand options for abortion care, everyone has better access to overall health and wellbeing.
Dr. Martha Paynter, spokesperson for the New Brunswick Abortion Care Network, states that the network enthusiastically applauds this move. "We hope that the new provincial government will go further by signing on to the federal Pharmacare plan for universal contraception," Paynter says. "And dedicating funds to cover people in the province without Medicare, such as international students and temporary foreign workers."
Action Canada recognizes this week's news comes after decades of advocacy efforts from activists, organizations, and collectives across New Brunswick. We congratulate their efforts, and look forward to further improvements to abortion and reproductive health care access in the province.
Read the news release from New Brunswick Women's Council.
Read more in our news release about the Pharmacare Act.