Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. House today passed the Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act, legislation requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to closely examine and evaluate barriers to high quality comprehensive healthcare for women military veterans, and to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all VA healthcare services for women vets. 

“Most medical problems for male and female military veterans are the same, but there are unique health care challenges and issues for women vets, including sexual trauma, child care, pregnancy care and concerns women may have about visiting a VA medical center with mostly male patients,” said Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who chairs the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces.  “Nearly two million women have served in the military, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.  We’re anticipating that many more will begin to utilize VA healthcare services in the next two to four years, so we need to be sure the system is fully prepared for them.” 

In addition to a study of barriers to VA healthcare faced by women vets and assessment of the quality of all services for them, the Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act requires the establishment of graduate education, training and certification for mental health professionals to provide counseling, care and services to women veterans suffering from sexual trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and a pilot program of child care for certain women veterans receiving health care from VA facilities.  The measure authorizes the VA to furnish hospital care and medical services to newborn children of woman veterans receiving VA maternity care for up to 14 days following their birth.
  
The House approved three other veterans measures today which set Cost of Living Adjustments for veterans’ survivor and disability compensation at the same level as Social Security disability and survivor benefits; a bill requiring a list of organizations that provide scholarships to veterans and their survivors to be posted on the Department of Veterans Affairs web site; and an important budgetary procedural action, called Advanced Appropriation, that authorizes Congress to approve investments in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care one year in advance so the VA can better plan on delivering healthcare to an increasing number of veterans with increasingly complex medical conditions.

“We’ve created a whole new generation of military veterans; men and women,”  Abercrombie said. “We have to do everything possible to be sure that they receive all the services and benefits they have earned.”

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