Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Over-Budget VA Hospital Construction Causes 'Heartburn And Angst' For Congress
The Washington Post: Congress To VA About Denver Hospital: ‘How Are We Going To Pay For It?’
How is the Department of Veterans Affairs going to pay for it? That was just one of the woes tackled at a tense, nearly three-hour congressional hearing on Wednesday on the most expensive construction project in the VA’s history: a still uncompleted $1.7 billion hospital in suburban Denver, which a number of lawmakers again and again said was causing “bipartisan heartburn and angst.” (Wax-Thibodeaux, 4/15)
The Associated Press: VA Employee Says He Was Fired After Warning Of Hospital Cost
A whistleblower said he was fired by the Veterans Affairs Department after warning of cost overruns at the Denver VA hospital, prompting a rebuke Wednesday from members of Congress who questioned why higher-ranking executives haven't been punished. VA contract specialist Adelino Gorospe warned department executives in 2011 that the hospital would cost more than official estimates, The Denver Post reported. Gorospe told the newspaper that he was fired in 2012 for allegedly disobeying a supervisor. (Elliott, 4/15)
Two other VA cost-management issues also made headlines: A blistering 79-page audit cites deficiencies at a Philadelphia facility, while the Senate may push the VA and Pentagon to improve electronic medical records sharing -
The Associated Press: Audit Finds Wide Mismanagement At Philadelphia VA
Unreasonable workloads and poor leadership at the Veterans Affairs facility in Philadelphia have led to mismanagement and delays in handling veterans' disability and pensions claims, according to a government audit released Wednesday. In a blistering 79-page report, the VA's inspector general cites a litany of problems, all part of a rush to reduce persistent backlogs that go beyond the widely reported wait times for medical care at department facilities. (Yen, 4/15)
CQ Healthbeat: Appropriators Want VA, Pentagon To Speed Sharing Of Electronic Medical Records
Senators writing the fiscal 2016 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs spending bill intend to push the Department of Veterans Affairs and Pentagon to do more to share electronic medical records. Mark S. Kirk, the chairman of the appropriations subcommittee overseeing the agencies, said Wednesday the agencies should have a seamless system allowing discharged personnel to shift to the VA health system without difficulties. (Adams, 4/15)
