Comment The Department of Veterans Affairs, in a historic change, will provide abortion counseling and abortions in cases of rape, incest, or if the pregnancy threatens the health of the pregnant veteran at its federal health facilities nationwide, including in states that prohibit or severely restricts the practice, the department announced Friday. Under a proposed rule change, the new policy overhauls health care services provided to 9 million veterans and eligible family members. The VA previously did not provide abortions of any kind or offer abortion counseling to patients considering the procedure. There are 2 million female veterans in the United States, according to VA data, and about a quarter of them are enrolled in VA care. “VA serves approximately 300,000 women of reproductive age, and female veterans are VA’s fastest-growing group,” VA spokesman Terrence Hayes said in an email. Once the rule is published, Hayes said the VA “will immediately prepare to provide these services in as many locations as possible.” Abortion decision will worsen military personnel crisis, Pentagon says VA Secretary Denis McDonough called the change “a patient safety decision” in a statement. “Pregnant veterans and VA beneficiaries deserve to have access to world-class reproductive care when they need it most. That’s what our nation owes them, and that’s what we’re going to bring to the VA,” McDonough said. “Increasing access to timely and quality health care for veterans should always be a top priority for the VA,” Jeremy Butler, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America, a veterans advocacy group, said in an email. The move comes two months into federal protection afforded by the landmark Roe v. Wade decision overturned by the Supreme Court. Shereef Elnahal, the VA’s undersecretary for health, said in a statement that the VA made the change after speaking with veterans and health care providers who “raised the alarm bells” about the state-level restrictions that went into effect after Roe overturned created health risks for veterans and their families. Michigan Republicans block abortion referendum, stage showdown While the new policy is an expansion of veterans health care benefits, the regulations closely resemble existing care at the Department of Defense, which provides abortions at military hospitals under the same criteria. Active-duty military care is not widely used, with fewer than two dozen abortions on average each year, according to Pentagon data. But advocates have pushed lawmakers and defense officials to help remove barriers to elective abortion, pointing to military bases in many states that ban all abortions and the difficulty of traveling long distances. The VA outlined a similar issue in the draft policy, saying some veterans and their family members “may no longer be able to receive such medical services in their communities.” Under the new VA policy, doctors will determine on a case-by-case basis what qualifies as a life-threatening pregnancy. Veterans seeking to terminate a pregnancy that is the result of rape or incest need only self-report and do not need to provide documentation such as a police report, the department said. With the department offering abortion services for the first time, it’s unclear how quickly VA facilities will be able to attract doctors who can perform the procedure, particularly in states where abortion is significantly restricted. One solution could be to seek care at civilian hospitals if veterans and eligible family members qualify. The VA would foot the bill in those cases. Abortions are now banned in these states. See where the laws have changed.
