VA Care Lacking for Female Veterans

A recent article in Mother Jones magazine took a look at health care services available to female military veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and pronounced it “pitiful.”  

“If you're among the growing population of female veterans, you might have trouble finding a gynecologist, getting a mammogram, or preparing to have a baby in many of the country's VA medical facilities,” the article stated.
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The piece cited several statistics, including:

• A 2104 figure from Disabled American Veterans that stated one-third of VA medical facilities lack an on-staff gynecologist
• A 2011 VA report that stated just 2% of VA medical facilities provided mammography services
• A survey cited by the Disabled American Veterans in 2014 that found 59% of female veterans said the VA lacked enough physicians who specialized in women’s care

The article did note that the VA has made some progress recently, including establishing women’s health centers at medical facilities and pairing three-quarters of female patients with primary care providers trained in women’s health by the VA. Furthermore, although the VA does not provide maternity care or deliver babies, the article pointed out the VA does cover the cost of treatment at medical facilities outside the VA system.

One female veteran who has post-traumatic stress disorder from military sexual trauma told the magazine she had trouble getting timely appointments with counselors through the VA.

“It's rough," she told the reporter through tears. “You call to get an appointment when you're having a bad day—you're thinking you're going to get in within a couple of weeks. And it took call after call after call to get a letter saying you have an appointment 6 months later.”—Jolynn Tumolo

Authors note: An update posted online 1 day after the article was published stated a VA spokeswoman contacted the magazine with several rebuttals, including that 133 of 150 VA hospitals have on-staff gynecologists and that 21 VA hospitals have added mammography since 2011. Mother Jones responded that the figures cited encompass all VA medical facilities and not solely hospitals.

Reference: Michaels S. Is the VA ready for an influx of female veterans? Mother Jones. February 11, 2016.