Factsheet ‘Veterans’ Card Holders’ in the Netherlands
Abstract: The Dutch government recognises the special achievements of its veterans by, among other things, granting them a veterans’ card. The former Stichting Dienstverlening Veteranen [Veterans’ Services Foundation], one of the forerunners of the Veterans’ Institute, issued the first veterans’ cards in August 1993. Veterans can apply for the pass themselves. The automatic issuing of the veterans’ card to service personnel with deployment experience who have left the service began in 2006. More than 66,000 Dutch veterans have a veterans’ card. The pass comes with a number of material benefits. For example, veterans’ card holders receive the veterans’ magazine Checkpoint ten times a year. The free travel passes issued for travel to veterans’ events, such as reunions, remembrance ceremonies or veterans’ days, are another benefit. Veterans also receive the Handboek Veteraan [Veterans’ Handbook] alongside the pass and - since 2003 - the Veterans’ Commemorative Badge. Finally, an increasing number of discount schemes are being linked to the veterans’ card. Since the publication of the Veterans’ Act in 2012, the Ministry of Defence has also granted veteran status to about 30,000 service personnel in active service (including reservists) with deployment experience. They are now also being issued automatically with the veterans’ card with comparable benefits, the Handboek Veteraan and the Veterans’ Commemorative Badge. This new category of veterans (in active service) is not taken into account in the rest of this fact sheet. The figures in the fact sheet relate to the present group of veterans’ card holders who have already left the armed forces, i.e. to those known as retired veterans.
Abstract: Introduction: Persistent inequities exist in obstetric and neonatal outcomes in military families despite universal health care coverage. Though the exact underlying cause has not been identified, social determinants of health may uniquely impact military families. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate the potential impact of social determinants of health and the lived experiences of military individuals seeking maternity care in the Military Health System. Materials and methods: This was an Institutional Review Board-approved protocol. Nine providers conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with individuals who delivered within the last 5 years in the direct or purchased care market. Participants were recruited through social media blasts and clinic flyers with both maximum variation and homogenous sampling to ensure participation of diverse individuals. Data were coded and themes were identified using inductive qualitative research methods. Results: Three main themes were identified: Requirements of Military Life (with subthemes of pregnancy notification and privacy during care, role of pregnancy instructions and policies, and role of command support), Sociocultural Aspects of the Military Experience (with subthemes of pregnancy as a burden on colleagues and a career detractor, postpartum adjustment, balancing personal and professional requirements, pregnancy timing and parenting challenges, and importance of friendship and camaraderie in pregnancy), and Navigating the Healthcare Experience (including subthemes of transfer between military and civilian care and TRICARE challenges, perception of military care as inferior to civilian, and remote duty stations and international care). Conclusions: The unique stressors of military life act synergistically with the existing health care challenges, presenting opportunities for improvements in care. Such opportunities may include increased consistency of policies across services and commands. Increased access to group prenatal care and support groups, and increased assistance with navigating the health care system to improve care transitions were frequently requested changes by participants.