Did you know?

Women Veterans — Care And Benefits Built For You

You do not have to have deployed. You do not have to have a rating. You do not have to have filed anything. A lot of what you earned is waiting on a phone call.

Women Veterans Health Care on VA.gov
Veterans Crisis Line — dial 988, then press 1. Text 838255. Chat at veteranscrisisline.net. TTY 711 then 988, or 1-800-799-4889. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You do not have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect.
Why I built this page. I spent two years in the transition office at Fort Riley. The thing I saw over and over with women veterans was not a denied claim — it was a woman who never walked in, because somebody told her the rule too narrowly. So I am going to state the rules at full width here. If a door is open, I will say how far open it is.
Read this first

MST care is free — and the bar is lower than you were told

MST means military sexual trauma: sexual assault or repeated, threatening sexual harassment that happened during your military service.

  • MST-related counseling and treatment is free and confidential
  • You do not need a service-connected disability rating
  • You may be able to get MST-related care even if you do not qualify for other VA services
  • You do not need to have reported it, and you do not need any other proof that it happened
  • There is no time limit — no matter how long ago it occurred
Ask for the MST Coordinator at your VA health care facility. That is the whole ask. You do not have to explain yourself to the front desk to get to her. More at mentalhealth.va.gov/msthome.
★ No rating. No claim. No proof. No deadline.
Money left on the table

Toxic exposure — at home or abroad

This is the door stateside-service women miss most often.

  • VA health care eligibility is expanded for veterans exposed to toxins or other hazards during military service at home or abroad
  • No combat service required. No deployment required.
  • VA must provide a toxic exposure screening to every veteran enrolled in VA health care, and repeat it at least once every five years
  • There is no deadline. Veterans and survivors can file anytime
Read it in VA's own words at va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits.
One more rule stated straight: wartime service is not required for VA health care or for service-connected disability compensation. Peacetime service counts. (Wartime service is a requirement for Veterans Pension, which is a different benefit — va.gov/pension/eligibility.)
★ You never deployed. You are still eligible.
Fastest route

One number that answers women's benefit questions

Women Veterans Call Center. Trained women representatives.

They explain benefits, and they hand you off to your local Women Veterans Program Manager. Every VA facility has one, and she coordinates your care from primary care through the specialized services. Find yours directly at womenshealth.va.gov/WOMENSHEALTH/wvpm-locator.asp.
★ Put 855-829-6636 in your phone today.
What you get

What VA women's health actually covers

VA's health program for women is called Women Veterans Health Care — womenshealth.va.gov.

  • Reproductive health and birth control
  • Preconception counseling
  • Maternity care
  • Menopause care, including hormone replacement therapy
  • Cancer screenings
  • Mental health care
  • Prosthetic services
Full list in VA's own words: va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/womens-health-needs.
★ Not a scaled-down version of men's care.
How to enroll

Applying for VA health care

The form is VA Form 10-10EZ, Application for Health Benefits. There is no deadline to apply.

  • Online — va.gov/health-care/apply/application
  • By phone — 877-222-8387, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. ET
  • By mail — Health Eligibility Center, PO Box 5207, Janesville, WI 53547-5207
  • In person at a VA medical center or clinic
  • With help from an accredited VSO representative, attorney or claims agent
Need your DD214 or your service records first? Request them free from the National Archives, online through eVetRecs or by Standard Form 180 — va.gov/records/get-military-service-records. Nobody should charge you for your own records.
★ You can apply any time after you separate.
Voice and opportunity

Advocacy, career and events

★ Right office, right question.
Protect yourself

Help with a claim — and what it may cost

Women veterans across the country connect through VA programs and veteran-run groups. Good. Just know the rules before you hand anybody your file.

  • A recognized veterans organization and its accredited representatives, when acting as such, are not permitted to receive fees. That bar attaches to acting as your accredited representative.
  • An accredited attorney or claims agent may charge a fee, but only for representation provided after VA has issued notice of an initial decision on your claim.
  • A fee of no more than 20 percent of past-due benefits awarded is presumed reasonable if the representation continued through the date of the awarding decision.
  • That rule is 38 CFR 14.636. Never accept "all accredited representatives are free" — it is not that simple.
Verify anyone who offers to help with your claim: va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/index.asp. VA's own caution: accreditation is solely for representation before VA and "does not imply that a representative is qualified to provide financial planning services or is otherwise endorsed by VA."
In any online group: it is not VA-endorsed just because a veteran posted it. Never put your VA file number, your Social Security number or your claim details in a public comment or a group chat.
★ Free help exists. Verify who you are talking to.