San Diego
A birth control clinic that was firebombed twice in 1984 is closing its doors, at least temporarily, because it cannot obtain affordable medical malpractice insurance, the clinic director said Tuesday. The Birth Control Institute in East San Diego will shut down Monday because malpractice insurance previously costing $7,000 under a national abortion association umbrella policy would cost $100,000 under an individual policy.
Clinic Director Carol Roberts said she hopes to reopen the clinic in March, when the National Abortion Federation is expected to be able to obtain new insurance covering its 250 member clinics nationwide.
“That’s what we’ve been told,” Roberts said.
The clinic has been treating about 1,000 women a month concerning birth control matters, with about 10% involving abortions, Roberts said. About 25% of the clinic’s clients are without medical insurance and have no money of their own, and those needing abortions have problems obtaining low-cost ones elsewhere, Roberts said.
The clinic was firebombed twice in 1984, causing $260,000 in damage.
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