Reproductive Health Services rule (2024)

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The Reproductive Health Services is a significant rule issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), effective April 3, 2024, that includes abortion counseling in medical benefits with abortion coverage in some circumstances, does the same for Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) beneficiaries..[1]

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Name: Reproductive Health Services
  • Action: Final rule
  • Type of significant rule: Other significant rule
  • Timeline

    The following timeline details key rulemaking activity:

    Background

    Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 barred the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from providing abortion and infertility services. The Veterans' Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996 allowed for the VA to provide needed medical services without reservation. After the Supreme Court of the United States ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on June 24, 2022, the VA believed it necessary to begin providing these services for veterans.[1]

    Summary of the rule

    The following is a summary of the rule from the rule's entry in the Federal Register:[1]

    The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is finalizing, without changes, an interim final rule that amended VA's medical regulations to remove the exclusion on abortion counseling in the medical benefits package; establish exceptions to the exclusion on abortions for veterans who receive care set forth in that package; and remove the exclusion on abortion counseling and expand the exceptions to the exclusion on abortions for Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) beneficiaries.[2]

    Summary of provisions

    The following is a summary of the provisions from the rule's entry in the Federal Register:[1]

    The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is allowing abortion counseling for veterans and certain beneficiaries, and in some cases, will also cover abortions themselves. This applies to both VA healthcare and the CHAMPVA program.[2]

    Significant impact

    See also: Significant regulatory action

    Executive Order 12866, issued by President Bill Clinton (D) in 1993, directed the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine which agency rules qualify as significant rules and thus are subject to OMB review.

    Significant rules have had or might have a large impact on the economy, environment, public health, or state or local governments. These actions may also conflict with other rules or presidential priorities. Executive Order 12866 further defined an economically significant rule as a significant rule with an associated economic impact of $100 million or more. Executive Order 14094, issued by President Joe Biden (D) on April 6, 2023, made changes to Executive Order 12866, including referring to economically significant rules as section 3(f)(1) significant rules and raising the monetary threshold for economic significance to $200 million or more.[1]


    The text of the Reproductive Health Services rule states that OMB deemed this rule significant, but not economically significant:

    The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has determined that this rule is a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866, as amended by Executive Order 14094.[2]

    Text of the rule

    The full text of the rule is available below:[1]

    See also

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 “Federal Register,” “Reproductive Health Services,” March 4, 2024
    2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.