Summary
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that over one million veterans will benefit from improved health care access. Women veterans can now directly schedule gynecology appointments without needing a referral from a primary care provider. The change aims to enhance women veterans' access to health services.
Key Facts
- The VA has removed the need for a primary care provider's referral for women veterans to see gynecology specialists.
- This change aims to improve health care access for women veterans, a rapidly growing group.
- There are currently over 2.1 million women veterans in the U.S.
- Women are expected to make up 18% of all veterans by 2040, up from 4% in 2000.
- Recent VA reforms have decreased the benefits backlog by 57% since January 2025.
- The Million Veteran Program is recruiting women veterans for medical research, with over 100,000 currently participating.
- The VA has opened 20 new health care clinics since the start of 2025.
- The VA is actively reaching out to ensure women veterans are aware of the expanded health care options available to them.
