The morning that Coast Guard Cmdr. Elizabeth Nakagawa was scheduled to have a D&C, or dilation and curettage, to remove fetal tissue after having a miscarriage, she learned the surgery had been canceled because Tricare, the military’s health insurance plan, refused to pay for it. While her doctor appealed, Nakagawa waited. Then the cramps and bleeding began. After being rushed to the ER that night, she hemorrhaged for four more hours before doctors performed the D&C that Tricare had refused to authorize. She almost died. Long before Roe v. Wade was overturned, military service members and their families have faced strict limits on abortion services, which are commonly used to resolve miscarriages. But in cases like Nakagawa’s, in which the fetus had no heartbeat, Tricare does cover abortions. Since the Dobbs decision, abortion care for service members seems to be coming under heightened scrutiny, said retired Rear Adm. Dana Thomas. “Trust me, post Roe v. Wade, I’m sure people felt there was much more of a spotlight,” she said. Read more at the link in bio. 📰: Erin Edwards and Robin Fields 📸: Rachel Bujalski for ProPublica 🎥: @seplo
#miscarriage #tricare #coastguard #militarytiktok #militarywomen #abortion #abortionban #roevwade