Province considering coverage of abortion pill, health minister says

Health minister John Haggie says the provincial government is considering offering coverage of the abortion pill.

Haggie said in a statement Tuesday that the province is watching what is happening across the country and looking at ways to improve access to the drug.

He says the government is working to determine the most appropriate coverage model for Mifegymiso, a two-drug combination that induces an abortion up to nine weeks into a pregnancy.

Every province in Canada, except Newfoundland and Labrador, has announced some cost coverage of the drug, from payment depending on a patient’s income, private health benefits and other factors to full universal coverage.

Medical students at Memorial University in St. John’s are meeting with provincial legislators this week to advocate for universal coverage of Mifegymiso.

Haggie says he looks forward to a meeting with medical students, expected today.

Maggie O’dea and Chris Vizena, the students leading the meeting, have been working toward this day since October 2017.

O’dea, a first-year medical student, said she knows the pill would save people from the burden of travelling.

“The greatest benefit it could provide is allowing people who are not near centres that provide surgical abortion to be able to take the oral combination of these pills to provide the medical abortion,” she said.

Coverage would simply make access easier, O’dea said.

“The way the current set up, underneath provincial coverage in Newfoundland is that surgical abortion is covered 100 per cent, medical abortion is not covered under the provincial government.”

Medical students have a platform, she said.

“It doesn’t seem to be on the forefront of politicians’ minds in our government, so we’re taking it upon ourselves to bring it forward,” she said.

Vizena, a second-year medical student, wants the province to gain back what it once had compared to other provinces, he said.

“About 15 years ago, Newfoundland was actually a leader in providing abortion coverage. They were one of the first governments to fully fund surgical abortions,” Vizena said.

The problem isn’t a lack of interest from the population, he said.

“It just hasn’t had a push yet and I don’t think it’s been brought to the forefront as an issue. So that’s what we’re trying to do now.”

Surgical abortions are offered only in St. John’s at the Health Sciences Centre or at a standalone private abortion clinic, the Athena Health Centre, although the clinic has plans to open two satellite locations in Corner Brook and Grand Falls-windsor.