Bill Overview
Title: To amend title 10, United States Code, to restrict the Secretary of Defense from paying or reimbursing expenses relating to abortion services.
Description: This bill prohibits the Department of Defense from paying for or reimbursing (1) any fees or expenses relating to a health care professional gaining a license in a state if the purpose of gaining such license is to provide abortion services, or (2) travel expenses related to abortion services.
Sponsors: Rep. Jackson, Ronny [R-TX-13]
Target Audience
Population: people under Department of Defense healthcare system
Estimated Size: 2000000
- The bill targets services related to abortion, specifically in the context of military personnel and their families, as the DoD is the employer and healthcare provider affected.
- Estimating impacted individuals requires consideration of DoD personnel, their families, and civilians who access care at military facilities.
- Military personnel number around 1.3 million active duty members, with 800,000 in the reserves, plus civilian employees under the DoD.
- The number of women within these groups may be disproportionately affected considering reproductive health issues, estimating roughly 17-18%, translating to around 500,000 women in active military and similar proportions in reserves and among civilians.
- The global abortion rate can guide larger estimates even though military-specific rates are not immediately available.
Reasoning
- The policy primarily affects military personnel, their families, and civilians employed by the DoD who access or may access abortion services.
- Military personnel and associated family and civilian members under DoD healthcare add up to approximately 2 million individuals who may be indirectly impacted by the policy.
- The policy may only significantly impact those females seeking abortion services, which is approximately 18% of the population aligned with the global abortion rate estimates, narrowing direct impact further to less than the full 2 million.
- Given the budget constraints, the policy likely targets a smaller, specific subset of the larger population, particularly those whose access may be most curtailed by lack of financial support for travel and licensing.
- Some individuals may not be directly affected if they do not seek abortion services or if their access is not reliant on the DoD's financial support in this area.
Simulated Interviews
Active duty military, nurse (Texas)
Age: 27 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I understand restrictions from a budgetary perspective, but it limits healthcare choices for women like me.
- Relocation often makes it hard to plan healthcare long-term, and this adds another layer of complexity.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 6 |
Civilian DoD employee, analyst (California)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to comprehensive healthcare should not be limited by work benefits.
- The DoD should reflect a broader healthcare standard.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 7 |
Military veteran, now civilian contractor (Virginia)
Age: 46 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't think this policy impacts my family directly, but it does represent a shift I feel worried about.
- What's next in terms of healthcare cutbacks?
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Active duty military, logistics officer (New York)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Young women in the service need support for all healthcare needs.
- This feels like a step back when it comes to choice and mobility for servicewomen.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 2 | 5 |
Active duty military, engineer (Florida)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think there might be better places to allocate resources.
- Supporting family health care, including my wife's options, should remain comprehensive.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 7 |
Civilian IT support for the DoD (Washington)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policies like these create unnecessary barriers to healthcare.
- Government support should be inclusive and equitable, reflecting diverse needs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 6 |
Military spouse, homemaker (Georgia)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My healthcare choices feel more limited now, especially as a mom.
- It puts more stress on decision making when healthcare is politicized.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 6 |
Retired military, now working in veterans affairs (Hawaii)
Age: 58 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Even in retirement, policy changes like this concern me because they impact our community.
- We should protect healthcare choices as a sign of respecting service members.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Military reserve, mechanical engineer (Colorado)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Though it doesn't directly affect me, I see the strain policies can cause on colleagues.
- Balancing budget and benefits is always tricky; impacted colleagues face tough times.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 8 |
Registered nurse in a military hospital (Maryland)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Patients often talk to me about how policies affect their access to care.
- It's important that we support all areas of women's healthcare inclusively.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 2: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 3: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 5: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 10: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 100: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Key Considerations
- This policy affects a specific subset of services within the DoD healthcare system.
- The potential political and social implications of limiting access to abortion services for military personnel.
- The Department of Defense's current stance and involvement regarding abortion-related expenses.