For many military women, the reaction is: finally. A Senate committee approved an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill on Tuesday that will extend insurance coverage of abortion to military women who have been raped, lifting a decades-long ban on abortion coverage for military rape victims. The move is a triumph in the fight for equity for military women—since 1981, they have not had the same level of health coverage as civilian employees, Medicaid recipients, and even federal prisoners who belong to government-issued insurance plans.
