Israel will pay for abortions for women between the age of 20 and 33 in 2014, Ha’aretz reports, and health officials announced Monday they hope to expand eligibility to all women in the future.
The funding was approved as part of the 2014 list of state-subsidized medical items, and expands coverage for women who were previously eligible for state-funded abortions only in the case of a medical emergency or sexual abuse. Women under 20 and over 40 are already eligible for state-funded abortions regardless of circumstance.
The new rule will allow for 6,300 more women to have abortions next year. The director of the committee that determines the list of subsidized items said at a press conference that Israel intends to expand state-funded abortions to all women, and make contraceptive pills universally available too.
[Ha’aretz]