Is it Medically Necessary?

Are the over 100,000 abortions performed in Canada each year medically necessary? If they are, then provinces wishing to receive money from the federal government under the Canada Health and Social Transfers program must pay for them.

First, although the Canada Health Act requires that provinces pay for all"medically necessary services", it does not define what those are and there is no list of specific services. In his March 2001 interim report Liberal Senator Michael Kirby, chairman of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, wrote that "the determination of what services meet the requirement of medical necessity is made in each province by the provincial government
in conjunction with the medical profession."

This was confirmed in response to an access to information request from MP Garry Breitkreuz, Health Canada replied: "This is further to your request under the Access to Information Act, dated August 1, 200, for: documents, reports & correspondence in the department that provide evidence that abortions are "medically necessary". I regret to inform you that after a thorough search of all likely record holdings, departmental officials have confirmed that they have no records relevant to your request."

Several provinces say they pay only for medically necessary abortions but most do not require doctors to submit any specific medical reason for the abortion. They simply submit the bill to the health care system. Only Prince Edward Island requires a specific medical reason for abortion to be covered by taxpayers.

The president of Canada's leading abortion advocacy group, Canadian Abortion Rights Action League, argued before the House of Commons Finance Committee on October 31, 2001 that, "Women who make the decision to abort a child at a certain point in their lives do so for socio-economic reasons. Sometimes it is a desire to complete their education and become financially independent. In many cases, couple with children wish to restrict their family six in
order to provide adequate financial support."

Almost all abortions performed in Canada are done because the pregnant woman chooses to end the pregnancy for personal reasons, not medical ones. Medical necessity is rarely part of the decision.