The situation won’t improve until VA reviews its screening process and garners appropriate information on the complications these veterans face, GAO stated. Image: Andrii Yalanskyi/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffBecause pregnant and post-partum veterans are more prone to mental and physical ailments, the government’s top watchdog agency believes they need access to more help that they are not getting.
“The Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] currently monitors maternal deaths and screens pregnant and postpartum veterans for mental health conditions. But VA hasn’t said when it will start reviewing screening results or what demographic data it will use when monitoring severe maternal complications to address disparities,” the Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated in a recent report.
The situation won’t improve until VA reviews its screening process and garners appropriate information on the complications these veterans face, GAO stated. The agency based its conclusions on analysis it conducted that showed a higher preponderance of severe maternal morbidity among Black and African American veterans between 2011 and 2020, when compared to other ethnicities and races. Recommendations include stepping up monitoring efforts and conducting more screenings for mental health conditions.
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