The Business of AbortionThe Business of AbortionAbortion is not just a controversial political subject: it is also a business. The following "Income Statement" is from an article in the Wall Street Journal in 1995. It detailed the profits of the National Women's Health Organization abortion facility in Fargo, North Dakota. NOTE: This clinic and many others have been closed and as of 2012, there is only one abortion clinic in North Dakota. Additionally, a new law recently passed puts restrictions on abortion drugs - the Red River clinic is currently fighting this law as 33% of their business is in these drugs.
The following was the picture of their profits and expenses in 1995 as detail in the WSJ: (according to this their expenses exceeded their profits ....
| Revenue | Expenses | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient Fees | $500,000 | Staff payroll | $151,000 |
| Abortionist's salary | 146,500 | ||
| Advertising | 48,000 | ||
| Rent | 30,000 | ||
| Medical malpractice insurance | 24,000 | ||
| Legal costs | 23,000 | ||
| Lab, pathology | 20,400 | ||
| Security | 11,000 | ||
| Other | 26,700 | ||
| Total Expenses | 516,600 | ||
Notes:
25% of the income came from gynecological exams; the rest from abortions. They charge $400 for a first-trimester abortion. (in 2012, the average fee for an abortion with no complications is $500 and up)
The figure listed for the abortionist's salary includes travel expenses. They have to fly abortionists in from other states, because no North Dakota doctor wants the job.
The advertising costs listed included a conventional Yellow Pages ad, but also ads in college newspapers and commercials on MTV. The National Coalition of Abortion Providers has added a "Marketing Tips" column to its newsletter.
The Wall Street Journal estimated in 1996 that abortion was a $450 million per year industry. As for 2012, Planned Parenthood alone, nets over 1.56 billion in profits.