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- Under existing Affordable Care Act regulations, participating insurers may cover abortions, but enrollees’ payments for those services cannot be covered by federal funds and must be held in “a separate account that consists solely of such payments.”
Information about abortion access and supports in Canada, funding programs, and resources in your province or territory. On this page. Types of abortion; Available supports; What Canada is doing; Resources; In Canada, abortion (voluntary termination of a pregnancy) is a legal and regulated medical procedure to terminate a pregnancy.
Sep 19, 2014 · This issue brief, Coverage of Abortion Services and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), summarizes the major coverage provisions of the ACA that are relevant for women of reproductive age,...
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Government of Canada Strengthens Access to Abortion Services
May 9, 2023 | Ottawa, Ontario | Health Canada
Everyone should have access to safe and consistent reproductive health services, including abortion. Although abortion has been legal in Canada for five decades, many people continue to experience barriers to access. Sexual and reproductive health is health care and the Government of Canada will always defend a woman’s right to choose while improving access for everyone.
Today, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth announced more than $4.2 million in funding from the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Fund to the University of British Columbia (UBC) – Contraception and Abortion Research Team (CART) and Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights for their projects. These projects, funded by Budget 2021, will improve access by removing barriers to vital abortion services and offer accurate reproductive health information for Canadians.
While every person’s story and circumstances are unique and barriers can vary in different regions, they often include the unavailability of services nearby, being unable to afford the costs of travel to access abortion care, and difficulty in accessing sexual and reproductive health services that are culturally-responsive and stigma-free. Previous experiences of discrimination within the health care system also make it more difficult for many members of marginalized groups to get the care they need; this is a reality for Indigenous and racialized people, members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities, and youth.
UBC-CART will receive $3,833,486 in funding, to address barriers to abortion access and information for underserved populations in Canada. This project will improve access by working with organizations to develop training resources and materials for health care professionals and patients.
“Our government will always support a woman’s right to choose and ensure that sexual and reproductive health care is accessible for everyone, no matter who they are or where they live. As many individuals continue to face barriers and stigma when trying to access these services, organizations like Action Canada and the University of British Columbia are doing important work to find solutions to improve access to abortion services across Canada. Together, we will continue to protect and improve the right to safe and consistent access to reproductive health services, including abortion.”
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health
“We know that women across Canada face barriers when accessing abortion services - such as the cost of travel, cultural stigma, and difficulties accessing accurate information. This is why it is critical that we continue to work with organizations like Action Canada and the University of British Columbia, to make sure that underserved women have access to safe abortion services, wherever they live. We will always support a woman’s right to choose, and we will continue protecting sexual and reproductive health rights.”
The Honourable Marci Ien
Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
•Budget 2021 committed $45 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to improve access to sexual and reproductive health care support, information, and services for people in Canada who face the greatest barriers to access.
Budget 2023 proposes to provide $36 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to Health Canada to renew the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund.
To date, over $38.9 million has been allocated. Twenty-three projects, valued at $29.2 million, have been funded. Of these projects, four address access to abortion, seven address 2SLGBTQI+ communities, and four focus on Indigenous communities, including Indigenous youth and Two Spirit people. Two projects focus racialized people or newcomers, two more address youth from a range of populations, and four more address additional priorities. In addition, as the projects above are national in scope or focus on provinces and territories other than Québec, per capita funding of $9.7M has been allocated to the Province of Québec to support community-based organizations located in Québec. Budget 2023 renews and extends the SRH Fund with a further $36 million over three years, starting in 2024-2025.
The Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund was created to support a wide range of evidence-informed and innovative projects for people in Canada who are at increased risk for poorer sexual and reproductive health outcomes, including members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities, Indigenous and racialized people, women and youth.
In addition, Budget 2022 committed $79 million over six years to help support people in Canada who want to become parents as well as allow:
•medical expenses related to a surrogate mother or a sperm, ova, or embryo donor fees paid to fertility clinics and donor banks in Canada in order to obtain donor sperm and ova to be eligible under the Medical Expense Tax Credit for 2022 and subsequent taxation years.
•Backgrounder: Improving Access to Abortion Services and Information under the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund
May 11, 2022 · Budget 2021 committed $45 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to improve access to a full range of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care support, information, and services―including abortion services—for people in Canada who face the greatest barriers to access.
May 30, 2019 · In 2015, Health Canada approved medical abortion — medication known as Mifegymiso, a compound that includes two drugs which, together, terminate early pregnancies.
Jul 13, 2022 · Twenty-six states restrict abortion coverage in ACA plans, while seven states require it as a plan benefit, according to KFF.
Jul 7, 2022 · Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights has a toll-free and confidential phone and text line that receives an average of 250 to 400 calls each month from those looking for information on...
