Oregon Abortion Facility Set to Close

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jul 31, 2003   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Oregon Abortion Facility Set to Close

by Paul Nowak
LifeNews.com Staff Writer
July 31, 2003

Portland, OR (LifeNews.com) — Due to financial distress, a Portland abortion facility is about to close its doors. All Women’s Health Services, a provider of birth control, abortions, and primary medical care, is expected to close because of financial problems, including owing $80,000 in back taxes.

Portland does have five other abortion businesses, including Planned Parenthood.

Last year, All Women’s Health Services closed their offices in Eugene.

"We are very encouraged to see the second abortion clinic in Oregon close," Gale Atteberry, Executive director of Oregon Right to Life, told LifeNews.com. "I believe this is showing that the abortion demand is dwindling, and can no longer support the same number of abortion clinics."

While All Women’s Health Services also provided some legitimate health services, its 6,000 clients, many of whom are lower-income families and single mothers, are far from medically homeless.

About 80% of the facility’s clientele are on Oregon Health Plan (OHP), a low-income medical insurance plan provided by the state.

While funded by the federal Medicaid program, eligibility for OHP has been expanded. As of March 2003, 100,000 more Oregonians were covered by OHP than would have been under a standard Medicaid program. OHP includes several choices for health care coverage, including dental, mental and prescription coverage.

According to the OHP website, eligible pregnant women receive the highest level of coverage, with no premiums or co-payments. After birth, newborns are automatically covered until their first birthday.