Defense Department announces accommodations for non-covered reproductive healthcare

Feb. 16 (UPI) -- The Department of Defense announced new policies to make it easier for troops to seek non-covered reproductive healthcare.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed a memorandum Ensuring Access to Reproductive Health Care that provides flexibility to troops who are pregnant, needing assisted reproductive technology or a non-covered abortion.

The policies will go into effect in 30 days, according to the department.

The first policy broadens the window for a service member to provide notification of pregnancy to 20 weeks of gestation. At 20 weeks, they will be classified as non-deployable.

The second policy allows troops to pursue any legal non-covered reproductive healthcare service regardless of where they are stationed. They will be given an administrative absence without it counting against their leave time and will be given travel and transportation allowances.

"Our service members and their families do not control where they are stationed, and due to the nature of military service, are frequently required to travel or move to meet operational requirements," the press release from the department said.

"The efforts taken by the department today will not only ensure that service members and their families are afforded time and flexibility to make private health care decisions, but will also ensure service members are able to access non-covered reproductive health care regardless of where they are stationed."