Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Repeated Complaints Of Abuse, Neglect At VA Medical Center Prompt Sharp Call For Stricter Oversight
Boston Globe: Sen. Warren Calls For Increased Oversight Of Troubled Bedford VA
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a sharply critical letter Thursday to the nation’s secretary of veterans affairs, demanding new, high-level oversight of the agency’s Bedford medical center, which has been the subject of repeated complaints of abuse and neglect. Warren called on the VA to increase “senior level” monitoring of the facility, release agency inspection reports, and give federal lawmakers more oversight. (Estes, 9/6)
Arizona Republic: Audit: VA Overpaid Veterans Choice Contractors By $101 Million
Two health care contractors running the federal government's Veterans Choice Program collected more than $101 million in overpayments during 2016-17, an audit released Thursday by the VA Office of Inspector General shows. ...The two VA contractors, Phoenix-based TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp and Health Net Federal Services of California, allegedly collected $66.1 million in excess payments via duplicate bills, and $35.3 million more as a result of other errors. (Wagner, 9/6)
