{"id":72864,"date":"2023-01-09T15:55:06","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T15:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/01\/09\/va-outlines-rules-for-staff-to-opt-out-of-abortion-related-work\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T20:44:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T20:44:55","slug":"va-outlines-rules-for-staff-to-opt-out-of-abortion-related-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2023\/01\/09\/va-outlines-rules-for-staff-to-opt-out-of-abortion-related-work\/","title":{"rendered":"VA outlines rules for staff to opt out of abortion-related work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2022\/12\/30\/new-in-2023-va-health-records-overhaul-faces-critical-juncture\/\" target=\"_blank\">Veterans Affairs officials<\/a> on Friday issued new memos clarifying the process for staffers to request religious exemptions to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2022\/09\/02\/va-to-provide-abortions-in-cases-of-rape-danger-to-womans-life\/\" target=\"_blank\">providing abortion-related services<\/a> at department facilities but still emphasizing the importance of the resources as part of veterans\u2019 array of medical options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPhysicians, residents, fellows, and medical students may, for any reason, opt out of performing induced abortions, receiving or providing training in the performance of induced abortions, providing referrals for such training or such abortions, or making arrangements for training or performance of induced abortions,\u201d a fact sheet accompanying the new guidelines stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials said the move does not represent a policy change, but rather a more formal outlining of opt-out rules <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2022\/09\/15\/republicans-threaten-lawsuits-budget-penalties-over-va-abortion-move\/\" target=\"_blank\">in place since last September<\/a>, when VA leaders announced they would begin providing abortion services for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2022\/12\/14\/va-employee-sues-department-over-new-abortion-policy\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"208\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TempleTXVA.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">VA employee sues department over new abortion policy<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The lawsuit asks for all abortions at a Texas VA medical facility to be blocked for religious liberties reasons.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFrom day one, Secretary [Denis] McDonough has made clear to all employees that their religious beliefs are protected here at VA,\u201d department press secretary Terrence Hayes said in a statement. \u201cVA continues to provide accommodations for VA employees who wish to opt out of providing abortion counseling or services.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision to provide access to abortions to veterans and eligible dependents in cases of rape, incest and pregnancies that endanger the life or health of an individual came in the wake of last summer\u2019s Supreme Court decision that overturned the 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling which legalized abortion nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since then, numerous states have started to place limits on health care workers from providing abortions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA officials have said that because they are on federal property, their operations are not bound by state laws. They\u2019ve said that abortion counseling and access to abortion procedures is needed to provide a full-range of reproductive health services to veteran patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Department leaders have not provided information on how many abortions have been conducted at VA sites in the past four months, or how many staffers have requested religious exemptions to the procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the staff opt-out rules in the new memos, employees who voice religious objections to providing abortion services must be granted accommodations. Supervisors must first attempt to assign the work to other staff. If that isn\u2019t practical, objecting employees may be reassigned to other responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last month, a Veterans Affairs health care employee working in Texas <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2022\/12\/14\/va-employee-sues-department-over-new-abortion-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\">sued the department<\/a> over the abortion policy, saying the change violates her religious beliefs as well as state law. She is looking to block all abortion-related activities at the Olin E. Teague Veterans\u2019 Center in Temple, Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2022\/09\/02\/va-to-provide-abortions-in-cases-of-rape-danger-to-womans-life\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1242677087.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">VA to provide abortions in cases of rape, danger to veteran\u2019s health<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Abortions could be conducted at VA medical centers, even in states where the procedure is outlawed.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republican members of Congress \u2014 who gained majority control of the House earlier this month \u2014 have also promised to challenge the VA abortion decisions in coming months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response, VA officials have said they are confident in the legal basis of their moves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe came to this decision after listening to VA health care providers and veterans across the country, who sounded the alarm that abortion restrictions are creating a medical emergency for those we serve,\u201d Dr. Shereef Elnahal, VA\u2019s Under Secretary for Health, said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOffering this care will save Veterans\u2019 health and lives, and there is nothing more important than that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The policy allows employees to opt-out of providing any abortion services, bit the department still insists the offerings are critical to veterans&#8217; 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