VA halts abortion services in return to previous policy

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has stopped providing abortion services and most abortion counseling to veterans nationwide after a Department of Justice opinion concluded the agency lacks legal authority to offer them.

VA officials said the change required an immediate reversal of a 2022 Biden administration policy expanding abortion access inside the VA health system. The rollback applies to all VA facilities and limits abortion services to rare situations involving life-threatening medical emergencies.

“The Department of Justice last year issued an opinion that states VA is not legally authorized to provide abortions, and VA complied with that opinion immediately,” VA spokesman Pete Kasperowicz said. “DOJ’s opinion is consistent with VA’s final rule on this matter.” 

VA officials described the move as a return to longstanding policy rather than a new restriction. 

“Prior to the Biden administration’s politically motivated change in 2022, federal law and longstanding precedent across Democrat and Republican administrations prevented VA from providing abortions and abortion counseling,” Kasperowicz said. 

The VA cited the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 and said abortions and abortion counseling have largely been excluded from its medical benefits package since 1999. The department said it can still provide care when a medical emergency threatens the life of a pregnant woman. 

The decision impacts a nationwide system serving over 9 million enrolled veterans. VA facilities had been permitted since 2022 to provide abortion services in limited circumstances, including rape or incest, as officials weighed access concerns tied to state abortion laws. 

Some Democrat lawmakers and abortion advocacy groups are criticizing the change. Samira Damavandi of the Guttmacher Institute said the policy denies care even in states where abortion is legal. 

“The Department of Veterans Affairs’ new policy denies abortion care and counseling to veterans and their loved ones who rely on the VA for care, even if the pregnancy endangers their health or is the result of rape and incest,” Damavandi said. 

Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Bost, R-Illinois, praised the change and said it reflects the will of the American people. 

“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 veterans they serve,” Bost said.