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Women veterans are the fastest-growing group of veterans in the United States. According to the VA, women now make up about 11.3% of the total veteran population
Somewhat over a million women veterans are enrolled in VA health care. The VA’s own women’s health program puts the enrollment rate at 44%, meaning more than half of eligible women veterans are not currently in the system. Men enroll at a slightly higher rate, a little over 50%. Eligibility rules are the same for both.
Health Care Services for Women Veterans
Women veterans enrolled in VA health care receive the same core services as any other veteran, plus gender-specific care. Enrollment is the gateway to everything in this section.
Gynecological Care
Every VA medical facility has a Women Veterans Program Manager who coordinates gender-specific care. Available services include full gynecological care, contraception, menopause support, mammograms, Pap smears, bone density scans, and breast cancer screening and treatment. Where a VA facility cannot provide a service directly, it may be covered through the Community Care program at an outside provider.
Mental Health Care
The VA offers individual and group therapy, including women-only therapy groups, and veterans may request a female provider at many facilities. Every VA medical facility has designated Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program Coordinators.
Military Sexual Trauma Care
MST-related health care is free. It does not depend on discharge status, and it does not require service connection for any condition. A veteran does not have to prove that the assault or harassment occurred and does not have to file a claim. Every VA medical facility has an MST Coordinator. Services include counseling and residential treatment programs.
This is separate from disability compensation for an MST-related condition, which is covered further below and works very differently.
Maternity and Newborn Care
Most VA medical centers do not have maternity wards, so VA maternity care is generally covered through community providers. A Maternity Care Coordinator handles the referral and coordination between the community provider and the VA.
Coordinator support extends through 12 months postpartum, up from eight weeks before October 2023. This period covers lactation support, mental health screening, follow-up screenings, and care coordination. The VA also covers a limited window of newborn medical care after delivery.
Fertility Services
The VA covers in vitro fertilization for veterans with service-connected infertility. Eligibility has been extended to unmarried veterans and to veterans in same-sex marriages. Cycle limits apply, and the Women Veterans Program Manager at a veteran’s facility can confirm current eligibility.
VA Disability Compensation for Women Veterans
Women veterans can file claims for any condition connected to their military service. The most common service-connected disabilities among women veterans include PTSD, major depressive disorder, musculoskeletal conditions of the back and knee, migraine headaches, tinnitus and hearing loss, and gynecological conditions.
Gynecological Conditions
The VA recognizes a variety of gynecological conditions, including endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and female sexual arousal disorder. These conditions do not have to be related to a specific in-service event or injury to be service-connected. Instead, it just needs to be shown that the symptoms first began in service.
Conditions requiring a hysterectomy, menstrual disorders, postpartum depression, and infertility secondary to another service-connected condition are also compensable. Gulf War veterans with unexplained gynecological issues are entitled to service connection on a presumptive basis.
PTSD from Military Sexual Trauma
Many women develop PTSD as a result of MST. About one in three women screened in the VHA answer yes to the MST screening question, compared with roughly one in fifty men.
Claims can be challenging because the VA requires credible supporting evidence of the in service stressor, and it is highly unlikely that MST related stressors would be documented, as not many women report the incidents at the time.
For claims based on in-service personal assault, the VA can accept evidence from sources other than service records. This includes statements from friends, family, or other veterans the claimant served with. Additionally, veterans can look for behavioral markers in service records, meaning events or incidents that show a behavioral change during service. A sudden drop in performance evaluations, a request for transfer, disciplinary action that came out of nowhere, unexplained medical visits, or a change in duty assignment can all serve this purpose. These behavioral markers can be very helpful in claims for PTSD.
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC-K)
Special Monthly Compensation at the K level is an additional payment made on top of a veteran’s standard monthly compensation. It is paid at any rating level, from 0% through 100%, and no minimum combined rating is required.
Under 38 U.S.C. 1114(k) and 38 CFR 3.350(a), the statute lists qualifying losses and names women veterans specifically: loss of 25% or more of tissue from a single breast or both breasts in combination, including loss by mastectomy or partial mastectomy, or following receipt of radiation treatment of breast tissue. Loss or loss of use of one or more creative organs, which includes the uterus and ovaries, is also on the list. Separate qualifying losses can each draw their own award.
SMC-K is supposed to be considered automatically when a qualifying condition is already service-connected. In practice, veterans whose underlying condition was granted years earlier often find that nobody went back to look at whether SMC-K applied.
Support Services
Child Care During Appointments
The Veterans Child Care Assistance Program covers child care for the duration of a VA health care appointment, either as drop-in care on-site or as reimbursement. Eligibility is prioritized for veterans receiving mental health care and veterans who are the primary caretaker of a child.
Employment and Education
Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) helps service-connected veterans prepare for and maintain suitable employment. VA education benefits, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill, can fund degree programs, vocational training, and certifications. The VA’s Center for Women Veterans provides additional support services and highlights women veterans through the Women Veterans Trailblazer program.
Housing and Homelessness
The VA reported roughly 3,329 homeless women veterans at the end of 2024, and more than 27,000 women served through its homeless programs that year, counting both veterans experiencing homelessness and those who received preventive services.
HUD-VASH combines a Section 8 housing voucher with VA case management, and many programs give priority to women veterans with children. Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) provides emergency financial assistance, including rent, security deposits, and child care, to prevent eviction. The Grant and Per Diem program funds transitional housing, and some GPD programs maintain women-only facilities or allow children to live with a veteran parent.
The National Call Center for Homeless Veterans is 877-424-3838.
Where to Get Help
The Women Veterans Call Center takes calls and texts at 1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-6636) and is staffed by women representatives who can answer eligibility questions and connect veterans with local resources.
The VA’s Center for Women Veterans and Office of Women’s Health began a regional summit series in 2026 called Boots on the Ground for Boots on the Ground. The first was held July 24 and 25, 2026 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, serving veterans from Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Four additional regional summits are planned.
If you or another veteran is in crisis, contact the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 988 and pressing 1, texting 838255, or chatting online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do women veterans get different VA benefits than men?
Mostly the same, with some additions. Women veterans are eligible for everything any other veteran is eligible for, plus gender-specific health services and a few compensation provisions that apply only to female anatomy. The clearest example is SMC-K, where the statute specifically names loss of 25% or more of breast tissue as a qualifying loss.
My MST claim was denied because nothing was reported at the time. Is that the end of it?
It should not be. The VA can develop claims based on in-service personal assault using evidence other than service records, including lay statements and evidence of behavioral change during service. A denial resting on the absence of a contemporaneous report is worth appealing.
Can I get VA disability for endometriosis or PCOS?
Yes, when the condition is connected to service. Gynecological conditions do not need to be tied to a specific in-service injury or event; showing that symptoms first began in service can be enough.
Does the VA pay for child care during my appointments?
By statute, every VA medical center was required to have the program running by January 4, 2026. Implementation has been uneven, so veterans should call their facility to confirm before relying on it.
VA-Accredited Advocates Here To Help You
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Veterans Help Group has spent almost 30 years helping veterans and their families get the benefits they’ve earned. Call 855-855-8992 or complete our free case evaluation form HERE to see what you may qualify for.
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