The Department of Veterans Affairs will begin providing abortion counseling and abortions in the cases of incest, rape, or when the life or health of the pregnant person is in danger.
VA Secretary Denis McDonough announced the interim final rule to the Federal Register allowing abortion counseling and abortions in certain cases on Friday.
“This is a patient safety decision,” he said in a release. “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 at VA will deliver.”
The decision was quickly applauded by Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
“By allowing abortion counseling and furnishing abortions in the cases of incest, rape and to protect the life and health of the woman, VA will now be on par with all other federal healthcare programs,” he said.
Ranking HVAC Member Mike Bost (R-Ill.) countered that abortion is wrong and Congress prohibited VA from providing them decades ago.
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“This proposal is contrary to longstanding, settled law and a complete administrative overreach,” he said. “I oppose it and am already working to put a stop to it.”
Bost and dozens of House Republicans wrote McDonough last year reiterating that VA is prohibited under current law from providing abortions.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, which made access to abortion legal across the country, McDonogh said he was watching closely to determine how the court’s decision impacted abortion services. Thus far, around a dozen states have moved to fully ban abortions.
The Sept. 2 VA release stresses that access to medically necessary abortions is essential for preserving the life and health of veterans and VA beneficiaries.
“Restricting access to abortion care has well-documented adverse health consequences, including increased risk of loss of future fertility, significant morbidity, or death,” it reads. “Veterans are also at greater risk of experiencing pregnancy-related complications due to increased rates of chronic health conditions. Therefore, to protect the life and health of pregnant veterans and eligible beneficiaries, VA determined that it was necessary to provide access to abortion counseling and — in some cases — abortions.”
The determination of whether the “life and health of the pregnant veteran would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried to term” will be made on a case-by-case basis and will be the result of careful consultation between VA healthcare providers and the veterans they serve, according to the statement. In cases of rape or incest, self-reporting from a veteran or VA beneficiary will constitute sufficient evidence that an act of rape or incest occurred.
VA beneficiaries enrolled in CHAMPVA will also have access to the services, which will be authorized immediately after the interim final rule is published sometime early next week. It will be available for public comment for 30 days after that.
Once the rule is published, VA will immediately prepare to provide the services in as many locations as possible. For more information about abortion services at VA, visit VA.gov/ReproductiveHealth and click on Abortion Services.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingservices.com.