Women Veterans Committee Update November/December 2017

The Women Veterans Committee aim to work on distributing more information on MST claims; getting to know more of the members’ history; providing details on how someone can become a special advisor; and connecting more easily with state councils for women veteran information. 

At a committee meeting in October discussion covered the lack of progress with H.R.3230, section 402, The Veterans Choice Accountability Act, in regard to survivors of sexual trauma on active duty and their care at the VA. This bill went into effect in 2014, but the integration with DoD has not been completed. The committee made a motion to have the VVA Board request that VA Secy. Shulkin review progress.

Also discussed was S.833 and its intent to expand the Title 38 Code to increase VA health care benefits for military sexual trauma. This includes expansion of coverage of cyber sexual harassment and expansion of VA health care availability for members of the armed forces. As for the claims process, it will broaden the scope of evidence-based histories for claims, evaluation of claims, compliance, behavior changes allowed as evidence, corroborating evidence, and institutes inclusion of an annual report to Congress on covered claims submitted during the previous fiscal year.

Thank you to all committee members and special advisors for their help.

Kate O’Hare-Palmer, Chair

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