Women veterans asked to comment on VA

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Women veterans are being asked to participate in an online survey for the American Legion about the VA healthcare system, Legion officials say.

Jimmie Foster, national commander of the American Legion, says the two-month, worldwide online survey, which begins Wednesday, will ask questions on 10 aspects of VA healthcare service quality: Reliability, responsiveness, competence, access, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, tangibles and understanding the customer.

The survey, conducted by ProSidian Consulting in Charlotte, N.C., was developed by American Legion specialists on women veterans issues.

There are currently about 2 million U.S. military veterans who are women, but only 25 percent use the VA healthcare system and the American Legion wants to know why, Foster says.

"Conducting this kind of survey is very important to us," Foster says in a statement. "After analyzing the data we've collected, the Legion will be better qualified to make specific recommendations for congressional appropriations, VA programs and facilities, and to increase public awareness of issues facing women veterans."