>>GRAPHIC: VA Logo and Seal
>>TEXT: Women Veterans Health Care >>TEXT: Reproductive Health Care for Women Veterans
>>NARRATOR: There are approximately 2 million women Veterans
living across America, and many of them are in their childbearing years.
Providing the highest quality maternal health care and support
to Veteran parents is critical to VA's mission.
This video provides
information that can help you provide them with the care they deserve.
Women Veterans are strong and resilient.
However, their sacrifices have come with a cost.
Many women Veterans now face challenges like musculoskeletal injuries, mental
health issues, military sexual trauma, and post-deployment adjustment issues.
Because of some of the characteristics of the women Veteran population,
they may face health challenges during and after pregnancy.
VA's primary care teams provide comprehensive primary care for women
all in one place, including care for acute and chronic illness,
gender-specific primary care, preventive services
and mental health services coordination of care.
VA is committed to serving women Veterans and helping
community providers like you understand the services VA covers for Veterans.
VA and its providers can
also be a valuable part of your coordinated care team.
Together, we can create comprehensive, seamless care for women Veterans.
This video shares information about VA's fertility and reproductive health,
pre-pregnancy health, mental health services and maternity benefits.
Women Veterans may not be aware of the services
that VA offers or the benefits available to them.
If they find their way to you for maternity related health care,
it is important that you are aware of the benefits and services
available through VA so you can ensure they receive the best care possible.
VA's Women Veterans Call Center accepts calls
or texts to 855-829-6636 to help you or women Veterans
navigate VA and provide connections to benefits and services.
To get the highest quality care,
women Veterans need clinicians who are attuned to Veteran women's health needs.
For more information about how military service impacts women Veterans'
medical care needs and how to provide the patient-centered, gender-specific care
they need, the one-hour free CME "Caring for Women Veterans" is available at
vha.train.org.
Fertility Services and Reproductive Health.
Military service can affect the reproductive health
and fertility of Veterans. In the Veteran population,
delayed childbearing due to military commitments,
PTSD and pelvic floor disorders are common.
Our providers collaborate with Veterans to achieve
their best health and help them meet their reproductive health goals.
Veterans who are having challenges building their families
can turn to VA for a wide range of fertility evaluations
and treatments, such as genetic counseling and testing, if needed,
intrauterine insemination and sperm retrieval.
Veterans with the service connected disability that results in infertility
may be eligible for further benefits, such as in-vitro fertilization, assisted
reproductive technology, or limited reimbursement for adoption.
Strict eligibility criteria must be met for the Veteran to be eligible
for their spouse to receive services for IVF/ART and adoption benefits.
Learn more about VA's Reproductive Health and Fertility
Services on VA's Health Training Network at
vha.train.org.
Pre-pregnancy Health
You and VA primary care providers know that a healthy pregnancy begins
before conception and it's never too early to encourage
Veterans to take healthy steps if they are thinking of becoming pregnant.
As you know, prenatal vitamins, regular activity, good nutrition
and avoidance of tobacco, alcohol and illicit
drugs are important pre-pregnancy behaviors and actions.
VA provides tobacco cessation support, management of substance
use disorders and weight loss and nutrition support to Veterans.
VA also offers prescription medications, such as prenatal vitamins, for Veterans.
In fact, VA is one of the few health care systems in the country
using integrated technology to track prescriptions for medications
that may be harmful before or during pregnancy or lactation.
VA also knows that pre-pregnancy health goes beyond physical health.
VA supports Veterans with critical services
related to mental health care, substance disorders, intimate partner
violence, and social service needs such as housing and hunger.
In addition to reproductive and maternal health,
VA is committed to supporting the whole health of women Veterans.
VA provides a wide variety of other services, such as acupuncture,
yoga and Tai Chi, chiropractic care and physical therapy, nutrition
and weight management coaching, mindfulness coaching and sleep therapies.
For more information about available VA support for Veteran pre-pregnancy health,
see VA's maternity care benefits brochure at
womenshealth.va.gov.
Maternity Benefits
VA provides care, coordination and maternity care as a health benefit
to Veterans maternity care services are referred to community providers
like you. Care from Certified Nurse Midwives and deliveries at accredited
birthing centers are covered under the VA maternity care benefit.
Every pregnant Veteran has a maternity care coordinator
(MCC) who can work with you and the Veteran throughout their pregnancy journey.
The MCC will make sure
all the necessary steps are taken to provide maternity care to Veterans.
This includes making sure VA records are kept up-to-date and that vital health
information that may affect maternity care is shared with you.
It is important
that you and Veterans understand that all pregnancy care is covered by VA.
This includes prenatal care, labor and delivery services,
lactation education and support,
lactation supplies such as bras and breast pumps,
childbirth preparation classes,
parenting classes,
pregnancy-related physical therapy,
mental health evaluation and treatment,
pregnancy options
counseling to include abortion if indicated
and abortion services
when needed to preserve the life or health of the pregnant person
or in cases of pregnancies that are the results of rape or incest.
VA also
covers the cost of newborn care provided by community providers like you,
which starts with the day of delivery and carries into the first days of life.
The MCC working with the Veteran can explain the newborn care covered by VA.
The specialty care you provide, along with the services and benefits VA
offers, can ensure that every Veteran receives the best possible maternity care.
To learn more about VA's maternity benefits, visit vha.train.org
or womenshealth.va.gov/topics/maternity-care/index.asp
Mental Health Services
Veterans' mental health is an important part of their overall health,
especially during pre-pregnancy, maternity and postpartum periods.
We know that some Veterans may have mental health conditions
related to their service.
Others may have experienced trauma that may affect
their reactions to pregnancy, labor, lactation and parenting.
VA is ready
to work with you to provide mental health care for women Veterans
who are trying to conceive, expecting, or who are new parents.
Women Veterans can continue to receive their mental health
care at VA during their pregnancies.
VA also has trained mental health providers who understand
the unique ways mental and physical health issues such as depression, anxiety,
PTSD and substance use affect women Veterans.
They are also trained to address perinatal loss and postpartum depression.
MCCs can work with you to manage Veteran care for any needed mental health
services.
For more information about maternity- related mental health services,
visit vha.train.org or
womenshealth.va.gov/topics/maternity-care/index.asp
You work hard to care for all your patients
and VA is your partner for your Veteran patients.
We're
here to work with you to answer questions about the benefits and services
available for Veterans who need fertility and maternity care.
Our goal is to ensure women Veterans get the benefits and services
they have earned and receive the best care within VA or in your office.
Working together, we can ensure women Veterans receive coordinated,
seamless fertility and maternity care to support their best reproductive health.
To learn more about providing care to Veterans or
joining the VA Community Care Network, visit
va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/providers/index.asp
Slash providers.
Slash index a.S.A.P.
For more information, visit vha.train.org.
>>GRAPHIC: VA Logo and Seal >>TEXT: womenshealth.va.gov