DENALI KIDCARE: Physicians determine what is "medically necessary"
The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services says 664 abortions were funded last year through Denali KidCare, the state health care program for low-income children and pregnant women.
Gov. Sean Parnell this month vetoed money to expand Denali KidCare to serve more Alaskans, saying he did it because some of the money pays for abortions.
Parnell said at the time that Denali KidCare funded "hundreds" of abortions. Anchorage Democratic Sen. Bettye Davis had disputed that, saying she'd previously spoken to the state health department and that a "very small number" of abortions are funded through Denali KidCare.
The health department couldn't answer for nearly two weeks exactly how many abortions were actually funded through the program. But a department spokeswoman sent out the figures Thursday showing Denali KidCare had paid for between 636 and 689 abortions every year for the past five years.
Last year's 664 is a substantial portion of the total abortions received by Alaskans. The Bureau of Vital Statistics reports 1,875 abortions in Alaska as a whole last year, although that doesn't count Alaskans who had the procedure performed out of state.
Davis didn't return a phone call Thursday seeking comment. But others were not ready to accept the state's numbers at face value.
