Veteran Affairs proposes reinstating nearly total exclusion of abortions and abortion counseling from health care benefits

On August 4, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a proposed rule to reinstate its exclusion of nearly all abortions and abortion counseling from the scope of its “medical benefits package” for veterans and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) benefits program beneficiaries (available to eligible family members, caregivers, and survivors of veterans). In 2022, the VA under the Biden Administration had narrowly loosened these exclusions, determining that abortions are also necessary and thus covered for veterans and CHAMPVA beneficiaries to protect health or in cases of rape or incest. The Proposed Rule would only allow for abortion, if necessary, in life threatening situations.