Improve care for women veterans

Improved health care for women veterans is a legislative priority for The American Legion. 

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, women are the fastest-growing demographic in the military and veteran community. The number of women veterans is projected to be approximately 2.2 million in 2046. With this, VA must plan now to account for these demographic shifts and ensure that women veterans are provided high-quality care and resources.

An American Legion legislative victory for the first session of the 117th Congress was the passing of the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, which aims to improve maternal health care for veterans. 

It is equally important to simultaneously oversee current programs and the implementation of past legislation impacting women veterans while also advocating for new legislation which fills the gaps remaining. This means improving mammography services (Making Advances in Mammography and Medical Options – MAMMO – for Veterans Act, S. 2533/H.R. 4794), mitigating the cost of contraceptive care, increasing access to child-care services and newborn care at VA medical centers, and studying the need for women-specific drug and alcohol dependency rehabilitation programs (H.R. 344, Women Veterans TRUST Act), as well as others.

Other gender-specific difficulties include women veterans being more likely to experience mental health issues and military sexual trauma, as well as chronic pain management and musculoskeletal condition treatment. To address these problems and barriers to care, VA must have care models and standards that are gender-specific and culturally competent.

A veteran is a veteran, so let’s stand ready to care for and meet the needs of our women veterans and recognize the sacrifices they have made by improving their care.