France: Lawmakers pass bill to pay for abortions

(AP)—The lower house of the French parliament has voted to fully reimburse all abortions and to make contraception free for minors.

Currently, France's national medical insurance fully pays for abortions for minors and the poor, while other women are reimbursed for up to 80 percent of the procedure's cost, which can be as much as €450 ($580). Contraception is partially reimbursed.

The bill, which passed the National Assembly on Friday, would make all abortions free and would also pay for contraception for those between 15 and 18. It now goes to the Senate, where it is likely to pass.

Some groups, however, complain that price is only one impediment to abortion access. They say too few doctors offer the procedure and there needs to be more information about who does.