Noteboom The Law Firm

Female Veteran Health Care Too Restrictive

August 13, 2010 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognized early on the pressing need for more specialized and independent health care for an increasing number of female veterans returning from deployment. One large issue the VA faced was being able to provide health care for female veterans in an environment where they not only felt comfortable, but safe. In response, the VA created health care clinics solely for female veterans. An unintended side effect, however, is female veterans receiving less access to routine medical care.

VA policy restricts the times female veterans can receive health care. The only time female veterans can see their primary care physicians is during the doctors' rotations in the women's health clinics. A normal rotation for a physician may be limited to one afternoon a week. Conversely, male veterans can make appointments any time the physician is available.

There is no question about the need for female veterans' health care clinics. Developing these clinics while restricting access to physicians however, seems somewhat counter-productive.

Another matter of concern is how seemingly easily and quickly doctors prescribe medications as opposed to diagnosing and treating veterans' service-related health care issues. More specifically, drugs like Ambien, which are used to treat sleep disorders, are passed out in place of proper treatment.

The increase in female veterans demanded that more be done by the VA regarding their health care needs, including providing certain treatments and services that vary from the needs of male veterans. Different, however, does not mean less involved or substandard.