Corrine Brown Introduces Legislation to Ensure Gender Specific Services at VA Health Centers

(Washington, DC)  House Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Corrine Brown introduced legislation today requiring that gender-specific services be continuously available at every VA medical center and community based outpatient clinic in the country.  It also mandates that the necessary personnel be hired and contracts signed to provide gender specific services based on Departmental standards, demand, and the projected growth of that demand.  With regard to the legislation, Rep. Corrine Brown made the following statement:

“In the 14 years of war and sacrifice following 9/11; American women have stepped up in greater numbers than ever before to defend our great nation by joining the military.  Across the services, women have proved themselves patriots by putting their lives on the line in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  One hundred sixty one have lost their lives in the effort, while another 1003 have suffered life-altering physical wounds.  In all, 280,000 have served and returned home to transition back into civilian life.

As a result of their service during this critical time period, women are currently the fastest growing group of veterans, with 2.2 million currently eligible to seek the benefits they earned.  Sadly though, according to the Women Veterans Task Force at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), many of the growing number of women military veterans do not even identify themselves as veterans.  This is particularly true for those who come to the agency for health care services, whose facilities have served a population dominated by men for generations.

For these reasons, I introduced legislation to assist women veterans and provide them with increased access to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ medical centers.  If signed into law, this bill would prevent common procedures such as preventive screening, breast care, gynecology specialty care, prenatal and obstetrical care, neonatal care and infertility services from being farmed out to private providers at excessively high rates.  It would also bring newly trained staff, as well as make appropriate supplies and required equipment available for our nation’s two million women veterans in the same way it currently is for our male veterans.”