The Government Accountability Office notes that the VA and DOD can do more to improve “health outcomes” of LGBT veterans and servicemembers. (Photo: California National Guard)
An updated U.S. Government Accountability Office report says the U.S. Department of Veterans has taken positive steps to improve “health outcomes” for LGBT veterans since the initial report was published in fall 2019.
The original GAO report notes that LGBT veterans are more likely to suffer from depression and thoughts of suicide, yet because the VA failed to record veterans’ sexual orientations during health care visits, the amount of data the VA could use to inform new policies and treatment options was severely limited.
As such, the GAO made four recommendations for improving data collection and analysis efforts. In late 2021, the VA began addressing all four concerns.
First, the Veterans Health Administration established a subcommittee last September to build a portal that, as of Jan. 2022, allows veterans to submit their gender identity. In an accompanying press release, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said, “all veterans, all people, have a basic right to be identified as they define themselves. This is essential for their general well-being and overall health. Knowing the gender identity of transgender and gender diverse veterans helps us better serve them.”
The VA also updated all enrollment and clinic visitation forms with response options for veterans, further expanding opportunities for data collection.
Finally, the VA expects the first set of data analyses for transgender veterans to be completed by this September with a second set on sexual orientation expected by December.
Generally, actionable data can take several years to implement new policies.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.
