U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) introduced a bill on Monday that would ensure Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities adhere to policies that are in place to ensure that female veterans have access to critical health care services.
Brooks introduced the Improve Access to Care for Our Female Veterans Act, H.R. 3558, in response to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found VA medical facilities often fail to comply with policies that protect the privacy, safety and dignity of female veterans.
Brooks said she’s heard from men and women from different branches of the military and veterans service organizations that female veterans face far greater challenges than male veterans in terms of access to care.
“More women are joining the military, and therefore, we need to ensure the services and standards at the VA are capable of properly supporting the increasing number of female veterans,” Brooks said. “Access to mammograms, maternity care and routine gynecology visits are crucial for ensuring the overall health and wellbeing of our female vets.”
The number of gynecologists and women’s health primary care providers practicing within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) increased by 3 percent and 15 percent, respectively, from fiscal year 2014 to 2015, the GAO report found. However, 27 percent of VA medical facilities didn’t have on-site gynecologists, and 18 percent didn’t have women’s health primary care providers on staff.
The report recommended that the VA care inspection process, and VHA oversight of the inspection process, should be enhanced to ensure compliance with requirements of the VHA’s women’s health handbook. The report also recommended that access to health services like mammography, maternity care and gynecology be monitored in terms of appointment scheduling and completion times, drive times to appointments and access to community care providers.
Brooks, who worked with U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) on the bill through the Bipartisan Working Group, said she met with the GAO to discuss the report’s findings in greater detail.
“One report that caught my attention specifically focuses on what we can do to provide our female veterans with appropriate care and better access to services that could save their lives,” Brooks said. “We need to act on these recommendations from the GAO to ensure the VA works more efficiently.”
Brooks said she was encouraged by VA Secretary David Shulkin’s efforts to improve the VA.
“… I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House on a bill that prioritizes the best care for our female veterans,” she added.