U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) have introduced the bipartisan Women Veterans Specialty Care Access Act, aiming to improve access to specialty care for female veterans. The bill focuses on areas such as gynecology, obstetrics, maternity, and postpartum care.
Senator Blackburn stated, “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. 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.”
On December 4, 2025, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that women veterans no longer require referrals from their VA primary care providers to make appointments with VA gynecology specialists. The new legislation seeks to make this policy permanent by codifying it into federal law and expanding its reach.
The proposed act would allow covered veterans direct scheduling for women’s specialty services at all VA medical centers or clinics offering such care through various methods including telephone and online tools. It also prohibits any additional approval or screening requirements as conditions for accessing these services while preserving existing eligibility standards.
Senator Blackburn has supported causes related to veterans’ healthcare and social issues during her tenure in the Senate representing Tennessee official website. She serves on several committees including Veterans’ Affairs official website.
More information about Senator Blackburn’s work can be found on her official website.
