NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release February 16, 2005

Inaccurate Reporting on Abortion, Hospital Flouting the Law

Recent news reporting on the abortion issue in New Brunswick, including today’s story on Elizabeth Weir’s comments about access to abortion (Telegraph-Journal), contain a repeated inaccuracy. Right to Life Executive Director Peter Ryan notes:

“Over and over it is stated that New Brunswick’s Medicare only covers abortions for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. That is false. There is no cut-off point. The regulation governing Medicare payments of abortion has no such stipulation. Abortions are in fact performed in hospitals after 12 weeks and they are covered. It’s time we got the story straight.”

Mr. Ryan also comments on Ms. Weir’s reaction to figures released on 2003-2004 abortions in the various regions, showing 358 for the Fredericton region, 27 for Saint John, 4 for Moncton (French and English hospital authorities together), none for other regions.

“Ms. Weir complains that only one hospital has access to abortion. My take is on the discrepancy between the regions is the opposite. Abortions are out of control at the Chalmers Hospital. They are being done illegally - done on demand rather than for medical necessity but billed to Medicare which is only suppose to cover medically necessary abortions. The other hospitals in the province are trying to comply with the law, physicians at the Chalmers - with the hospital’s cooperation - are violating it.

“The Minister of Health should rein in the Chalmers Hospital and stop the defrauding of Medicare.

“As we predicted over a year ago, Fredericton has become the hospital abortion centre for the entire province. The numbers have skyrocketed from the previous year.”

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Contact: Peter Ryan 1-888-796-9600 / (506) 459-8990