Make It Easier For Vets To Get Mental Health Care, Senator Says
New legislation introduced by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, seeks to expand veterans' ability to receive mental health services outside of the VA system and reduce wait times. Meanwhile, reports and documents from the Department of Veterans Affairs describe two cases of mismanagement, one by a hospital chief in Puerto Rico and another by a VA office supervisor in Hawaii.
The Hill:
Ernst Offers Bill To Improve Veterans' Access To Mental Health Care
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has introduced legislation to strengthen veterans' mental healthcare by making it easier to get help outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The proposal would amend the Veterans’ Access, Choice, and Accountability Act, to allow veterans access to non-VA mental healthcare if they can show the agency is not giving them "adequate or timely" care. (Carney, 3/31)
The Associated Press:
VA Inspector General: Hawaii Supervisor Manipulated Vets' Benefit Data
A supervisor at the Veterans Administration office in Honolulu was manipulating data to make it look as though the agency was processing veterans' benefits claims faster than they actually were, according to a new report by the VA Office of Inspector General. The data manipulation happened last year, when there was heightened scrutiny nationwide over how long veterans were waiting to see doctors. (Bussewitz, 3/30)
Washington Examiner:
Veterans Affairs Hospital Chief Draws $179K Salary Despite Missing 80 Days A Year
DeWayne Hamlin, the top official of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Puerto Rico hospital, was absent from the hospital some 80 days in a one-year period, according to documents obtained by the Washington Examiner. Hamlin was paid $179,700 despite being absent from the hospital approximately one in three business days last year, according to "delegation of authority" documents by which he temporarily transferred his job responsibilities to deputies. (Rosiak, 3/30)
