Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Committee's Plan To Shift Money To Veterans' Choice Program Draws Immediate Backlash
The Associated Press: House Unveils Plan To Fix VA’s Budget Gap As Deadline Looms
A House committee unveiled a disputed plan Friday to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to shift $2 billion from other programs to cover a sudden budget shortfall that could threaten medical care for thousands of patients in the coming weeks. The proposal by the House Veterans Affairs Committee would provide a six-month funding fix to the department’s Choice program, which offers veterans federally paid medical care outside the VA and is a priority of President Donald Trump. To offset spending, the VA would trim pensions for some veterans and collect fees for housing loans. (Yen, 7/21)
The Associated Press: Vet Groups Urge House To Reject Plan To Fix VA's Budget Gap
Eight major veterans' organizations on Saturday urged Congress to provide emergency money to the Department of Veterans Affairs without cutting other VA programs as the House moved quickly to address a budget shortfall that threatened medical care for thousands of patients. (Yen, 7/22)
