Chicago Abortion Fund Condemns Proposed VA Abortion Ban, Warns of Harm to Illinois Veterans and Families
Media Contact:
Eleanor Grano, Communications Manager, Chicago Abortion Fund
Email: communications@chicagoabortionfund.org
Phone: (708) 552-0477
CHICAGO, IL — October 9, 2025 — The Chicago Abortion Fund submitted a public comment opposing the Trump Administration’s proposed ban on abortion care in Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities and through VA health programs. The public comment period closed in September and are currently reviewing submissions before issuing a final rule.
The proposed rule would block abortion care at all VA health facilities, strip coverage of abortion services from VA health programs, and prohibit providers from offering counseling or referrals.
The impact would be devastating for Illinois’ more than 537,000 veterans and their families, including those served by Scott Air Force Base, Naval Station Great Lakes, Rock Island Arsenal, and members of the Illinois National Guard. Veterans already face higher pregnancy-related risks and disproportionately experience military sexual trauma, making abortion access through the VA essential health care.
“This proposal is an extreme abortion ban that would strip thousands of people of basic, essential health care,” said Alicia Hurtado, Advocacy and Communications Director at the Chicago Abortion Fund. “Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, veterans and their families have turned to CAF for the abortions they want, need, and deserve because VA coverage was not enough. One veteran mom of two children with disabilities relied on CAF as she drove from the South to Illinois for care; another disabled veteran and single mother faced over $3,000 in hospital costs without our support. Instead of abandoning them – and countless others – the VA should be expanding access to ensure all members receive the health care they deserve.”
Decades of research, including the Turnaway Study, show that denying abortion care worsens people’s health, economic stability, and family outcomes. Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022, CAF has fielded more than 45,000 support requests and distributed over $16 million in direct assistance to help people overcome barriers to abortion care.
CAF joined abortion rights advocates nationwide in urging the VA to abandon this harmful proposal. View the Chicago Abortion Fund's full public comment here.
CAF remains available to support veterans and their families who may be impacted by this harmful proposal. CAF funds care at independent abortion clinics, Planned Parenthood clinics, telehealth providers, and hospitals. To request support, visit chicagoabortionfund.org/helpline and complete an intake form.
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The Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) is the largest independent abortion fund in the country. For 40 years, we've been tearing down barriers to abortion care in Chicago, the Midwest, and beyond. We’re not just providing funding; we’re supporting our callers in accessing freedom, dignity, and autonomy.
CAF offers support for people seeking abortion care in Illinois including, procedure funding, travel and related needs like childcare, emotional support and logistical expertise. The organization has relationships with abortion clinics across Illinois and beyond, and supports people nationwide coming to Illinois for care. Since the Dobbs decision, CAF has received support requests from over 45,000 people. In 2024 alone, CAF fielded over 16,000 support requests and distributed over $7 million in direct assistance.