France opts to cover 100 percent of abortion costs for citizens

GlobalPost

France has decided to reimburse women 100 percent of abortion costs under its new 2013 Social Security budget—while at the same time allowing clinics to charge more for the procedure.

AFP reports that at present, women in France can only get 70 to 80 percent of the cost for the procedure back from the government under current policy. AFP claims the average cost of an abortion in France is between $258 and $581 in US dollars.

The new budget will also allow abortion clinics to increase their fees, bringing them closer to real costs.

Why has France made this move? According to AFP, a government statement said the new funding was  "necessary to ensure all women have equal access to abortion."

Read more from GlobalPost: Uruguay votes to legalize abortion

Abortion is legal in France until 12 weeks after conception, according to Angloinfo.com. 

The procedure has been legal there since 1975.

Some countries with socialized healthcare do partially (or largely) fund abortion procedures, such as in the UK through the National Health System or Canada through its Medicare system. According to Abortion Review, 96 percent of 2011 abortions in the UK were funded by the NHS.

Read more from Globalpost: Abortion cocktails and condom wars in the Phillipines

In countries that don't provide public funds for abortion, such as in the USA, private abortion funds have emerged to help poorer women afford what can be a costly medical procedure.

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