"On June 10, the House Veterans Affairs Committee approved, by voice vote, the Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act (H.R. 1211). The House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health approved the measure on June 4, The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee approved a bill with similar provisions (S. 252) on May 21; on May 20, the House Veterans Affairs Committee convened a panel to address the need for specialized services for women veterans."

"Sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), H.R. 1211 would require the secretary of Veterans Affairs to issue a report on the "barriers to the provision of comprehensive health care by the Department of Veterans Affairs encountered by women who are veterans." The report would assess the impact of various barriers, including perceived stigma in accessing mental health services; transportation and geographic isolation; child care; perception of personal safety at veterans' services locations; sensitivity of staff; and the effectiveness of department outreach."

"A second report to assess all health care programs provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the health care needs of women veterans also would be required. The report would include 'assessments of specialized programs for women with post-traumatic stress disorder, women who are homeless, women who require care for substance abuse or mental illnesses, and women who require obstetric and gynecologic care.'"

"The VA recently reported that within 10 years, women are expected to become 10 percent of the VA’s patient population. Women are seeking VA health care at a faster rate than their male counterparts. Women who are seen at the VA today are also younger and of child-bearing age. These statistics beg the question: Is the VA ready?"

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