Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Care At Veterans Hospitals Is Just As Good Or Better As Local Private Hospitals, New Study Reports
New Hampshire Public Radio: Study: VA Hospitals Compare Favorably To Nearby Private Hospitals
Over the years, studies have shown that VA healthcare is as good as or better than private sector care. In this new study, researchers wanted to look at how a given VA hospital compared to private hospitals nearby. They looked at publicly-available data in 121 different areas across the country and compared things like risk-adjusted mortality rates and safety indicators. With a few exceptions, VA hospitals compared favorably. (Biello, 12/13)
WBUR: VA Still Arbitrarily Cutting Caregivers From Program, Even As It Aims To Expand
Congressional sources confirmed that the VA has missed its first deadline in October to implement new IT for the caregiver expansion — raising serious concerns of further delay. VA says the department will not deploy the new system until it is ready and has been tested thoroughly. (Lawrence, 12/18)
