ROUTINE R 281421Z OCT 22 MID200080400799U FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC TO ALNAV INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC CNO WASHINGTON DC CMC WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS ALNAV 071/22 MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/OCT// SUBJ/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPORT// REF/A/SECDEF MEMORANDUM/20OCT22// AMPN/REF A IS NEWLY RELEASED GUIDANCE FROM THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ENTITLED, "ENSURING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE"// RMKS/1. It is critical our Sailors and Marines maintain health, fitness, and wellness to optimize mission readiness. Therefore, the Department of the Navy (DON) is committed to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of those who serve our country, and their families in an environment of safety, privacy, and respect. The recent Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization has generated concern for some Sailors, Marines, and family members about how their reproductive health care may be affected. The decision has necessitated that the Department of Defense (DoD) closely examine and evaluate policies to ensure seamless access to health care, consistent with federal law. 2. Reference (a) is newly released guidance from the Secretary of Defense entitled, "Ensuring Access to Reproductive Health Care." Reference (a) outlines reproductive health policy and directs the DoD to promulgate implementing actions no later than the end of this calendar year, to the maximum extent possible. Nothing is more important to me than the health and well-being of our people. The DON will be fully engaged in this policy work. 3. Future policy will: a. Establish additional privacy protections for reproductive health care information, including standardizing and extending the time Service Members have to fulfill their obligation to notify commanders of a pregnancy to no later than 20 weeks unless specific requirements to report sooner, such as those necessitated by occupational health hazards, are set forth in policy. b. Allow for appropriate administrative absence consistent with applicable federal law for non-covered reproductive health care. c. Establish travel and transportation allowances for Sailors, Marines, and their dependents, as appropriate and consistent with applicable federal law and operational requirements, and as necessary, amend any applicable travel regulations, to facilitate official travel to access non-covered reproductive health care that is unavailable within the local area of a Sailor or Marine's permanent duty station. d. Direct commanders to maintain objectivity and discretion when addressing reproductive health care matters and underscore their duty to enforce existing policies against discrimination and retaliation in the context of reproductive health care choices. e. Develop a program to reimburse applicable fees, as appropriate and consistent with applicable federal law, for health care providers who wish to become licensed in a different state than that in which they are currently licensed in order to support the performance of official duties f. Develop a program to support health care providers who are subject to adverse action, including civil or criminal penalties or loss of license or reprimand, for appropriately performing their official duties, to include the indemnification of any verdict, judgment, or other monetary award consistent with applicable law. 4. While this policy work is underway, and pending issuance of the implementing actions, I want to assure you that I am fully committed to ensuring the DON continues to provide contraceptive and reproductive health care services and support to our Sailors, Marines, family members, and retirees. 5. Securing Easy Access to Contraceptive Care: active duty Sailors and Marines are entitled to comprehensive counseling by a health care provider and access to the full range of contraceptive methods for pregnancy prevention or menstrual suppression. Further, active duty Sailors and Marines may receive an adequate supply of short-acting reversible contraceptives for the entire length of deployment (up to 12 months). If menstrual suppression is desired, extra supply of the chosen method will be ordered and dispensed as necessary to ensure the member has enough active medication for the entire duration of deployment. Additionally, Walk-In Contraceptive Clinics (WICC) (primarily in Fleet Concentration and Fleet Marine Force areas) offer same-day contraceptive services to Sailors and Marines. Currently, 32 WICCs are open (22 Navy and Marine Corps, 4 Army, 4 Air Force, and 2 National Capital Region locations), offering easy access to same-day contraceptive services resulting in reduced wait time for accessing long acting reversible contraception. Finally, emergency contraception Plan B (or generic equivalent) is available at all military pharmacies free of charge. 6. Ensuring Service Members and Beneficiaries Can Access Covered Abortions: consistent with long-standing federal law, 'covered abortions' - those cases that involve rape, incest, or where the life of the mother would be endangered - will continue to be performed within the military health system. Please know that there is no interruption to this care. Existing DoD policy authorizes travel for covered abortion care, if necessary. 7. Ensuring Service Members Can Exercise Their Reproductive Health Rights: DoD health care providers may recommend non-chargeable convalescent leave to allow time for the Sailor or Marine to recover after receiving an abortion. Pre-and post-care is available to Sailors and Marines within the military health system, regardless of whether the abortion service was a covered or non-covered procedure. 8. I encourage you to visit the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center's, "Women's Health Toolbox," at https://www.med.navy.mil/Navy-Marine- Corps-Public-Health-Center/Womens-Health/ for additional information and resources on a myriad of important women's health issues, to include abortion care. 9. Rest assured that the DON's work to implement the DoD's new policy is a priority and it will be released expeditiously. I expect promulgation in short order, with cooperation from leaders across the Navy and Marine Corps to ensure appropriate input and efficient implementation of the new policy. 10. Released by the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy.// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//