Boswell highlighted the bill and the need for improvements in his latest newsletter to constituents:
"In his Memorial Day address, President Barack Obama reminded Americans to pause amidst their barbecues and pool parties to reflect on the patriotism and courage of our nation's defenders. These brave individuals have served their country by fighting for our security and liberty. All year, it is important to consider what we can do to better serve them once they return home.
"That is why I introduced the Women Veterans Access to Care Act, a bill that directs the secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve health care for female veterans. Women represent 8 percent of the veteran population, and they are the fastest-growing group within it. As the demographics of the military continue to change, women are enrolling in VA health care in unprecedented numbers. To date, 43.4 percent of eligible female veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have turned to the VA for health care, and almost 85 percent of these women have visited the VA more than once for outpatient treatment. By 2020, 15 percent of veterans using the VA for health care will be women.
"This means that veterans' health care, which is now primarily tailored to men, needs to undergo significant changes soon. Female veterans are more likely to have lower incomes, and more female veterans than male veterans suffer from poor health. Women are also less likely to have private insurance. The fragmentation of women's care and a lack of access to all spectrums of women's health services, from reproductive care to primary care, make female veterans an underserved population. Right now, the selfless commitment of female veterans to their nation is not nearly matched by their government's commitment to them.
"The Women Veterans Access to Care Act directs the secretary of Veterans Affairs to emphasize four essential aspects of care for female veterans: physical health, mental health, improved tele-health services and the hiring of health professionals who are specialists in women's health issues. It also directs the VA to conduct a study on health care for women veterans to identify the main causes of stress, determine the most effective method to reduce such stress, and evaluate the various private and public health care systems through which women veterans receive care. Finally, it would direct the secretary to report back to Congress one year after the date of enactment on the status of implementation of the bill and findings of the study.
"If passed, the Women Veterans Access to Care Act will help ensure all our nation's heroes receive the quality health care they deserve."
The bill is currently before the House Veterans' Affairs committee. It has seven co-sponsors -- including Iowa delegation members Bruce Braley, Tom Latham and Dave Loebsack. In fact, the only member of the Iowa delegation that has not signed on as a sponsor is U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Republican who represents the 5th District.
Leave a comment