TIME Examines Government Role in Abortion Funding in Health Reform Proposals
While acknowledinging that President Obama's claim that allegations that health care reform will lead to government funding of abortion is "not true" is accurate, TIME magazine claims that it does not "tell the whole story."  TIME argues that health care reform will amount to federal government intervention in broadinening abortion access, in that it could create a public option that will cover abortion care:

The member dues, or premiums, to pay for expanded abortion coverage would be segregated from the federal tax dollars by keeping the money in separate internal accounts. The problem is that all those who sign up for the public option would have to pay into the account for abortion coverage, an amount "not less than $1 per month," according to the legislation. So in effect, anyone who wanted to sign up for the public option, a federally funded and administered program, would find themselves paying for abortion coverage.

That might be a change for the federal government, in that a public option is a major scale-up of access to all health care and procedures. But it's how most private insurance has always worked.  As Guttmacher has found, a very high percentage -- 87% -- of private, employer-based plans already do cover abortion.  In other words, while the federal government might be unfamiliar in facilitating access to surgeries, the public at large is very familiar with having a small portion of their premium costs going to cover abortion care.

Medication Abortion Has Not Significantly Expanded Access
Feministing reports on new data from the Guttmacher Institute that medication abortion has not expanded access to abortion care in ways that advocates expected.  One significant reason is that advocates initially hoped that providers who do not offer surgical abortion would provide access to mifepristone, but that hasn't happened:

Most mifepristone abortions were performed at or near facilities that also provided surgical abortion. Only five mifepristone-only providers of 10 or more abortions were located farther than 50 miles from any surgical provider of 400 or more abortions.

Becoming a provider of mifepristone means far more than being willing to write the prescription, Ann Friedman points out: doctors still need to perform ultrasounds on women and be capable of performing a surgical abortion as backup.

Australian Provider Refuses to Prescribe RU-486 Until Legal Protections Are Enacted
The Queensland government has not clarified the legality of medication abortion, Queensland provider Caroline De Costa says.  In fact, a 19-year-old girl and her partner face charges on allegations of smuggling RU-486 into the country, reports ABC News Australia.  "Premier Anna Bligh says the update to the Criminal Code will happen as soon as possible, but there is no plan to free up the law for more abortions."

 

 

The member dues, or premiums, to pay for expanded abortion coverage would be segregated from the federal tax dollars by keeping the money in separate internal accounts. The problem is that all those who sign up for the public option would have to pay into the account for abortion coverage, an amount "not less than $1 per month," according to the legislation. So in effect, anyone who wanted to sign up for the public option, a federally funded and administered program, would find themselves paying for abortion coverage.

That might be a change for the federal government, in that a public option is a major scale-up of access to all health care and procedures. But it's how most private insurance has always worked.  As Guttmacher has found, a very high percentage -- 87% -- of private, employer-based plans already do cover abortion.  In other words, while the federal government might be unfamiliar in facilitating access to surgeries, the public at large is very familiar with having a small portion of their premium costs going to cover abortion care.

Medication Abortion Has Not Significantly Expanded Access
Feministing reports on new data from the Guttmacher Institute that medication abortion has not expanded access to abortion care in ways that advocates expected.  One significant reason is that advocates initially hoped that providers who do not offer surgical abortion would provide access to mifepristone, but that hasn't happened:

Most mifepristone abortions were performed at or near facilities that also provided surgical abortion. Only five mifepristone-only providers of 10 or more abortions were located farther than 50 miles from any surgical provider of 400 or more abortions.

Becoming a provider of mifepristone means far more than being willing to write the prescription, Ann Friedman points out: doctors still need to perform ultrasounds on women and be capable of performing a surgical abortion as backup.

Australian Provider Refuses to Prescribe RU-486 Until Legal Protections Are Enacted
The Queensland government has not clarified the legality of medication abortion, Queensland provider Caroline De Costa says.  In fact, a 19-year-old girl and her partner face charges on allegations of smuggling RU-486 into the country, reports ABC News Australia.  "Premier Anna Bligh says the update to the Criminal Code will happen as soon as possible, but there is no plan to free up the law for more abortions."
Other News to Note

August 24: Time: Abortion And Health Reform: A Real Issue

August 24: Charleston Gazette: Abortion foe brings skit to city street

August 24: LifeSiteNews: Local Catholic Bishops Fight Wisconsin Contraceptive Coverage Mandate

August 24: Optimum Population Blog: India’s rising population poses questions on stability

August 24: Naples News: Guest commentary: Independent clinics provide most abortions in U.S.

August 24: U.S. News & World Report: Rep. Tim Ryan: My Plan for Common Ground on Abortion

August 24: Science Progress: Autonomous Contraception

August 24: Psychiatric Times: “Abortion Trauma Syndrome”

August 24: Change.org Global Health: What Can We Learn from Abortion Access?

August 24: Sex Gender Body: INDONESIA: 'Safe' Abortion Could Put a Brake on Women's Mortality Rates

August 24: Madison St.-Clair Record: Birth control pill 'Yaz' named in suit against Bayer, Walgreens

August 24: Private Healthcare UK: Limited choice of contraception could harm health of women

August 25: The Australian: More Queensland hospitals drop abortion

August 24: Courier-Journal: Abortion foe protests healthcare reform

August 24: Chronicle Live:Teens given right sexual health advice

August 24: Feminists for Choice: New Study Debunks “Abortion Trauma Syndrome”

August 24: In the News: The solutions to all your contraceptive concerns

August 24: Wichita Eagle: Free thinker was not well received in 1879

August 24: IoL: City takes on illegal abortion 'doctors'