Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development has said that Americans are welcome to cross the border for abortions, as the Supreme Court looks set to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“I don’t see why we would not,” Karina Gould told the CBC News Network on Tuesday when asked if American women could get abortions in the Canada.
“If they, people, come here and need access, certainly, you know, that’s a service that would be provided,” she added.
Americans who go to Canada for abortion services would have to pay out-of-pocket or through private insurance for the procedure, Gould’s office noted.
“Americans accessing health care services in Canada would continue to have to pay for the service out-of-pocket or by their own private insurance if they are not covered by a provincial health insurance, by the Interim Federal Health Program or Non-Insured Health Benefits,” a spokesperson for Gould told the Canadian outlet.
The minister’s comments come after Politico leaked a majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito overturning Roe v. Wade.
The leaked document was from February, when the judges were still in early considerations on the case. The final decision on the matter is expected in the next two months.
If Roe v. Wade falls, the issue of abortion will go back to the states, with more than a twenty Republican-led states expected to quickly ban or severely restrict the procedure.
Gould said she is also concerned about abortion access for Canadian women close to the U.S. border if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
“One of the concerning factors here is that there are many Canadian women who maybe don’t live near a major city in Canada, but will often access these services in the United States,” she said.
“I’m very concerned about the leak yesterday. I’m very concerned about what this means, particularly for American women, but also for Canadian women.”
