Legislation Revamping VA Health System, Expanding Private Care For Veterans Sent To President
The sweeping measure would allow veterans to see private doctors when they do not receive the treatment they expected. Critics say the measure goes too far toward privatized care, which could undermine the Veterans Affairs Department.
The New York Times:
Senate Sends Major Overhaul Of Veterans Health Care To Trump
The Senate gave final passage on Wednesday to a multibillion-dollar revamp of the veterans health care system, consolidating seven Veterans Affairs Department health programs into one and making it far easier for veterans to take their benefits to private doctors for care. The legislation, which passed 92 to 5, also expands popular stipends to family caregivers of veterans who served during the Vietnam War era or after. And it establishes a nine-member commission to study the department’s current infrastructure to determine where its health system should expand and contract. (Fandos, 5/23)
The Associated Press:
Bill Expanding Private Care For Veterans Goes To Trump
The sweeping measure would allow veterans to see private doctors when they do not receive the treatment they expected, with the approval of a Department of Veterans Affairs health provider. Veterans could access private care when they have endured lengthy wait times or VA medical centers do not offer the services they need. The bill's approval comes despite concerns from some Democrats that the effort would prove costly and be used too broadly by veterans in search of top-notch care even when the VA is able to provide treatment deemed sufficient for their needs. (5/24)
The Washington Post:
Congress Sends Massive Veterans Bill To Trump, Opening Door To More Private Health Care
About one-third of veterans in the system now see outside doctors through a program called “Choice,” which Congress hastily approved as a temporary remedy in response to the scandal. But the program — designed to serve the overflow at VA facilities both of aging Vietnam-era veterans and younger service members returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — is fragmented and unwieldy. Doctors have complained of slow or nonexistent payments, and veterans say there’s insurmountable red tape. (Rein, 5/23)