{"id":275417,"date":"2022-09-02T15:26:15","date_gmt":"2022-09-02T20:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=275417"},"modified":"2022-09-02T15:26:15","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T20:26:15","slug":"department-veterans-affairs-dependents-va-hospitals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/department-veterans-affairs-dependents-va-hospitals\/","title":{"rendered":"Department of Veterans Affairs to allow veterans and dependents to get abortions at VA hospitals"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) submitted an interim rule<\/a> to the Federal Register on Thursday night, allowing abortions to be committed in hospitals on federal property, even in states that protect preborn children from the violent procedures.<\/p>\n

Under the new rule, pregnant veterans or eligible dependents<\/em> can undergo abortions in cases of rape, incest, or if the health of the mother is in jeopardy. VA physicians will also be able to counsel pregnant veterans on abortion, and coordinate abortions under other circumstances with abortionists in the private sector.<\/p>\n

“This is a patient safety decision. Pregnant Veterans and VA beneficiaries deserve to have access to world-class reproductive care when they need it most,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement<\/a>. “That\u2019s what our nation owes them, and that\u2019s what we at VA will deliver.”<\/p>\n

Dr. Shereef Elnahal, VA\u2019s Under Secretary for Health, added that pro-life laws are creating a “medical emergency,” and “offering this care will save Veterans\u2019 health and lives, and there is nothing more important than that.\u201d A press release on the new policy also further claimed that this is a major health issue for veterans.<\/p>\n

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. 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 \u2014 in some cases \u2014 abortions.<\/em><\/p>\n

There is, in actuality, little data<\/a> showing that access to abortion improves maternal mortality or morbidity rates, and abortion is not health care<\/a>; it is the purposeful killing of a preborn human being.<\/p>\n