Politics
Tuesday June 6, 2006
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Insurance Discount for Women Who Refuse Abortion in Switzerland
By Gudrun Schultz
SWITZERLAND, June 6, 2006, (LifeSiteNews.com) - A program aimed to decrease abortions in Switzerland offers health insurance discounts to women who refuse abortions, in vitro fertilization and prenatal diagnosis, Zenit News Service reported yesterday.
The policy is an initiative of the pro-life organization Swiss Aid for Mother and Child, according to the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation. At least five health insurance companies have agreed to participate in the program, offering rate discounts of 10% to 40% to eligible women. The service is well used--Zenit reported that thousands of women have signed on to the deal.
Citizens of Switzerland are obligated to purchase membership in a health insurance company.
There has been some opposition to the endeavour. Josef Zisyadis, national adviser of the communist Popular Workers Party, recently spoke out against the system of special rates. The Federal Council, however, said it would not interfere with the program.
Switzerland voted to loosen existing abortion laws in 2002. A national referendum showed 72% of the population backed a parliamentary measure to allow abortions within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Previously, the country had one of Europe's strictest anti-abortion laws. Under the old law a woman convicted of aborting her child or procuring an abortion carried up to a five-year prison term plus a heavy fine.
Switzerland's birth rate stands at 1.43 children per woman, well below the rate of 2.1 children needed to prevent a shrinking population.
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