U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) have introduced the bipartisan Women Veterans Specialty Care Access Act, aimed at improving access to specialty health care for female veterans. The proposed legislation seeks to make it easier for women veterans to obtain services such as gynecology, obstetrics, maternity, and postpartum care.
“Female veterans are one of the fastest-growing populations served by the VA, and we need to do everything in our power to ensure they receive the care they have earned in a timely manner,” said Senator Blackburn. “Our Women Veterans Specialty Care Access Act would allow female veterans to directly schedule an appointment for women’s specialty care without requiring them to get a referral from a VA primary care provider.”
Senator Hassan added, “This bipartisan bill permanently removes the needlessly time-consuming step of requiring women veterans to receive a referral form from their primary care provider to access women’s health care. This commonsense bill will help make it easier and faster for women veterans to receive the care that they need, have earned, and deserve.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced on December 4, 2025, that women veterans would no longer need referrals from primary care providers for appointments with VA gynecology specialists. The new bill aims to make this policy permanent by writing it into federal law and expanding its scope.
Currently, needing a referral can delay preventive or urgent medical services and create additional administrative challenges for accessing maternity and postpartum support.
If passed, the Women Veterans Specialty Care Access Act would allow any eligible veteran to directly schedule appointments for women’s specialty health services at any VA medical center or clinic offering these services. It would also ensure that direct scheduling is available through all VA scheduling methods, including phone and online platforms. The bill prohibits extra approval or screening requirements beyond existing eligibility standards.
Senator Blackburn has supported various causes related to veterans’ health care and social issues during her tenure in the Senate (official website). She represents Tennessee in Washington and maintains offices across several cities in the state (official website). Her work includes advocating for affordable health care and serving on key committees such as Veterans’ Affairs (official website).
The full text of the bill is available online.
Related legislative efforts include bills focused on improving access for veterans with hearing loss and establishing a “Veterans’ Bill of Rights Act.”
