Vet Voice Foundation Submits Formal Comment Opposing VA’s Proposed Rule Rolling Back Reproductive Health Care for Veterans

Press Releases | Foreign & Domestic Policy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Vet Voice Foundation submitted a formal public comment strongly opposing the Department of Veterans Affairs’ proposed rule (Docket No. VA-2025-VHA-0073) that would strip away access to medically necessary abortion care and counseling for veterans and their families.

The proposed rule would end VA coverage for abortion services in cases where a veteran’s health would be endangered if a pregnancy were carried to term, or where a pregnancy results from rape or incest. It would also eliminate abortion counseling altogether—removing care that veterans have relied on since 2022.

With more than two million women veterans in the U.S. today—nearly half of those seeking care at VA of childbearing age—the consequences of this rollback would be profound. These changes would deny lifesaving care, place veterans’ health at risk, and break faith with those who have served.

Janessa Goldbeck, CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, issued the following statement:

“This proposed rule is a betrayal of veterans and their families. Veterans should not lose access to health care simply because their care involves reproductive health. The VA itself has acknowledged that abortion care is medically necessary in cases of rape, incest, or when a veteran’s health is at risk. To now claim otherwise is dangerous, legally baseless, and cruel. We are calling on the VA to immediately withdraw this harmful rule and uphold its duty to provide the full spectrum of medically necessary care for those who served.”

Vet Voice Foundation’s comment underscores that the proposed rule conflicts with existing law, longstanding VA practice, and the VA’s statutory mandate to provide care based on medical necessity. It also highlights how the rollback would disproportionately harm women veterans, who are the fastest-growing segment of the veteran population, and CHAMPVA beneficiaries, including military families.

PDF: Comment Regarding Proposed Rule Reproductive Health Services