Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Moment Of Bipartisan Accord, President Signs Veterans' Suicide Prevention Act Into Law
The Wall Street Journal: Signing Clay Hunt Veterans Bill, Obama Notes Rare Bipartisan Accord
President Barack Obama signed a veterans suicide prevention bill into law on Thursday, celebrating a moment of bipartisan accord and cooperation. “This is one of those areas that we can’t have an argument,” Mr. Obama said at a signing ceremony at the White House. The law, Mr. Obama said, is “a reminder of what we can accomplish when we take a break from the partisan bickering that so often dominates this town and focus on what really matters to the American people.” (Tau, 2/12)
The New York Times: Obama Signs Suicide Prevention For Veterans Act Into Law
President Obama signed a measure into law on Thursday to fight a wave of suicide among veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress, a problem that has won increased attention as American troops have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq. (Baker, 2/12)
USA Today: Obama Signs Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill
The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act will help the Department of Veterans Affairs study new strategies for suicide prevention and give student loan incentives to recruit psychiatrists to work with veterans. The bill's namesake was a Marine Corps veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan who struggled with post traumatic stress disorder and campaigned on behalf of veterans health care. He took his own life in 2011 at age 28. (Korte, 2/12)
The Associated Press: Obama Signs Veterans Suicide Prevention Bill
The law requires the Pentagon and Veterans Affairs Department to submit to independent reviews of their suicide prevention programs and make information on suicide prevention more easily available to veterans. It also offers financial incentives to psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who agree to work for the VA and assist military members as they transition from active duty to veteran status. (2/12)
Arizona Republic: Whistle-Blowers: VA Still Endangering Suicidal Vets
During the past eight months, roughly 1,000 military veterans with mental-health problems have shown up in the emergency room at Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix, sometimes intoxicated and potentially suicidal. (Wagner, 2/12)
