VA to Ban Most Abortions Under Proposed Rule Change

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“Before that time, this exclusion had been firmly in place since the medical benefits package was first established in 1999,” the new rule stated. “VA is also proposing to reinstate the exclusions on abortion and abortion counseling for Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs that were removed in 2022. We take this action to ensure that VA provides only needed medical services to our nation’s heroes and their families.”

The Biden administration changed the rule following the Supreme Court decision in June 2022 that ended a federal right to an abortion. It marked the first time VA physicians could perform abortions on federal property, even in states where it was outlawed. The new interim rule now requires women seeking abortions to go outside the VA system.

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The new guidelines, which include care for ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and other life-saving procedures, have been in the works since late July but had not been publicized by VA leaders or White House officials, the Military Times reported Monday. Even though they are in a public comment period, the guidelines are essentially being enforced within the department.

A footnote in the notice in the Federal Register said the average number of veterans who received abortions from the VA was 100 a year, with the average number of CHAMPVA beneficiaries at 40 a year, significantly lower than the more than 1,000 a year the VA projected under the Biden administration.

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“It was wrong that the Biden administration violated settled law in 2022 and began offering abortion services through [the] VA,” the lawmakers wrote. “We pushed back hard on this disastrous policy over the last two years to hold the Biden-Harris administration accountable and protect the lives of the unborn. It’s simple — taxpayers do not want their hard-earned money spent on paying for abortions — and [the] VA’s sole focus should always be providing service-connected health care and benefits to the veterans they serve.”

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“Those who fight for all our freedom must have the most basic freedom to control their own bodies and futures — and this rule robs them of it,” Alexis McGill Johnson, CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement Monday. “Taking away access to health care shows us that the Trump administration will always put politics and retribution over people’s lives. Planned Parenthood will never stop fighting to ensure everyone has access to the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health care — no matter what.”

* Original Article:

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/veterans-affairs-abortions-biden-administration/2025/08/04/id/1221252/