Third Congressional District Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s legislative provisions addressing the growing demand for maternity care and mental health support from the Department of Veterans Affairs for female veterans was unanimously approved by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee this week.
The provisions included in the VA funding bill for next year were advanced by the committee, according to a press release. The bill also increases funding for the VA by $5.3 billion over last year’s budget, according to the release.
“Women have served our country courageously and we should ensure they are given the specialized care they have earned, which includes maternity care and critical mental health support,” Herrera Beutler said in the release. “I’m pleased to help shape this bill that acknowledges the needs of our female veterans.”
She said it is time for the VA to increase its support for servicewomen by providing necessary health care resources to the veterans. She said the bill represents significant progress.
The provisions are to report how many veterans are having babies and their birth outcomes; identify whether the overall needs of pregnant veterans are being met; assess the mental health support services for pregnant veterans to ensure they are adequate and identify gaps for improvements; develop an education campaign publicizing the maternity care benefit while increasing access to the information; and collect feedback from pregnant veterans utilizing maternity care benefits to identify barriers to the access of care.
Other organizations supporting the efforts include Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and the National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health.
