Limited Abortions Will Continue On DOD Bases Despite Roe v. Wade Reversal – By Jacqueline Feldscher (Defense One) / June 28, 2022
“There will be no interruption to this care,” the Pentagon said in a memo
Defense Department facilities will continue to perform some abortions in states that ban the procedure, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.
The June 28 memo from Gilbert Cisneros, the defense undersecretary for personnel, is an attempt to give troops the same benefits regardless of where they are stationed, now that 13 states have moved to ban abortion after Friday’s reversal of Roe v. Wade. It’s unlikely, however, that the policy would hold in a Republican administration, according to legal experts.
“The Supreme Court’s decision does not prohibit the department from continuing to perform covered abortions, consistent with federal law,” the memo says. “There will be no interruption to this care.”
The memo says the court’s ruling will not change the services provided by Defense Department facilities or covered by Tricare. The department and Tricare are allowed to perform and pay for abortions only in cases of rape, incest, or where the life of the pregnant person is at elevated risk—limitations imposed by the 1976 Hyde Amendment.
