Women with federal health insurance, in federal prisons, enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare, and Indian Health Service have access to abortion coverage if their pregnancy is the result of rape or is life threatening. However women in the armed forces, who defend our country every day, are not provided abortion coverage under the military health plan if their pregnancy is the result of rape. We ask that a rape exception be allowed.
Why is this important?
A 22-year-old U.S. Army private was raped at a military base in Afghanistan and became pregnant.
But military insurance does not cover pregnancy termination in case of rape—it's only covered if the pregnancy is life-threatening. So she had to raise the money and take personal time off to travel all the way back to the United States to have the procedure. Her mother, who was living on a fixed, low income, was her only financial support.
