Veterans Deserve Complete and Full Access to Reproductive Health Care
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Dear Friend,
Reproductive and human rights are under attack for everyone in our nation
since the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade. This
includes reproductive rights for veterans.
Veterans have been there for all of us when we needed them most and now
it’s time to support them in return. Right now we have a chance to
safeguard reproductive rights and services–including abortion–for our
veterans but we need your help!
[ [link removed] ]*Sign our letter commending the Department of Veteran Affairs for their
efforts to ensure access to abortion care and encourage them to ensure
reproductive justice for *all* veterans.
Here’s the background: In a historic move, the Department of Veteran
Affairs (VA) recently proposed a new rule [1] to ensure that veterans have
access to abortion care regardless of if they live in a state with
anti-abortion restrictions. You’re probably thinking, “This is great news
and technically less restrictive than the existing laws in certain
states!” and it is! However, it is also critical that we encourage the VA
to take their solutions even further by expanding the ruling to include
abortion care for all veterans regardless of the circumstance.
In short, the VA needs to expand the rule because the current proposed
rule states that abortion care can only be sought by those in an
circumstance in which a person was raped, became pregnant as a result of
incest, or could potentially die due to pregnancy or giving birth. Now,
because this proposed rule is in motion, we have a unique opportunity to
publicly share our thoughts on this matter as the Biden-Harris
Administration is currently accepting comments on why abortion care for
veterans is critical healthcare. This is where you come in!
We appreciate the VA for their efforts to ensure that veterans and their
dependents have access to the essential reproductive healthcare they need.
It is a step in the right direction and it also holds the line at a time
when abortion rights are severely under attack. We must also encourage the
Department to drop the harmful restrictions around the narrow
circumstances in which a person may seek abortion care so all people can
access the healthcare they need and deserve.
[ [link removed] ]*Use your voice! → Applaud the Department of Veteran Affairs for taking
the first step in protecting reproductive rights and encourage them to
drop the restrictions so that all veterans have access to quality abortion
care services regardless of their circumstance. Your signature and
comments will be included in our letter to the Secretary for Health of the
VA.
The Department’s affirmed decision was a direct solution to the
overturning of Roe v. Wade and attempt to protect those who seek care and
post-abortion services under VA care, however so many people in need are
left out and unprotected because of the its severe restrictions. The
Veteran Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care
system in the country serving approximately 6.5 million veterans and their
dependents annually. According to a study conducted by Ibis Reproductive
Health, “US servicewomen have a higher rate of unintended pregnancy than
civilian women, yet the military does not provide or cover abortion,
except in limited circumstances. Servicewomen's experiences with abortion
care have received little research attention.” [2]
The Department of Veteran Affairs is not bound by the Hyde Amendment, a
bill enacted 43 years ago that restricts government funds from being used
to cover abortion—except in extremely limited circumstances—nor are they
required by any provision to enact such restrictions on abortion services.
Furthermore, the VA has the authority to lift them at any time. We must
convey to the Department that the decision to keep these severe
restrictions in place is harmful. Patients without protections are being
forced to travel long distances out of state to receive care. The reality
is that many, if not most, are unable to travel and are being forced to
carry their pregnancies to term against their will, a grave violation of
their human rights. Unattainable access to abortion care creates hardships
for many veterans, particularly women of reproductive age and their
families, due to out-of-pocket costs associated with noncovered abortions,
and career impacts related to unwanted pregnancies, meaning, women are
being forced to choose between a paycheck to put food on the table and
giving birth. [ [link removed] ]
[3]*Urge the VA to drop the severe restrictions around the narrow
circumstance in which abortion care can be provided. *Click here to sign
our letter*
Those that have vowed to serve and protect our country and their families
deserve complete and full access to abortion care services, post-procedure
counseling, and equitable and competent reproductive healthcare! Together,
we can make a change.
In Solidarity,
- Diarra, Tina, Elyssa, Monifa, and the whole MomsRising.org &
MamásConPoder Team
References:
[1] [ [link removed] ]A Rule by the Veterans Affairs Department on 09/09/2022
[2] [ [link removed] ]Abortion knowledge and experiences among US servicewomen: A
qualitative study
[3] [ [link removed] ]FY2023 NDAA: Military Abortion Policies
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