Senate Version Of ‘Must-Pass’ Defense Bill Restricts Troops’ Trans Care
Provisions tacked onto the policy bill include limitations on the military paying for surgery for trans troops and also on how military members' trans children can access gender care. Separately, the VA is in the news for dropping mandatory overtime for claims processors and a hack attack.
Military.com:
Restrictions On Transgender Health Care Slipped Into Senate's Must-Pass Defense Bill
The military would not be able to pay for surgeries for transgender troops under the Senate's version of the must-pass annual defense policy bill, legislative text released Monday evening revealed. Transgender military kids could also lose access to hormone therapy, puberty blockers and other medication if the treatment "could result in sterilization" under another provision that was also added to the bill during the Senate Armed Services Committee's closed-door consideration of the measure last month. (Kheel, 7/9)
Military.com:
VA Dropping Mandatory Overtime For Most Claims Processors As Work Proceeds At Faster Clip
The Department of Veterans Affairs has ended a seven-year-old policy that required claims processors to work mandatory overtime, a move enabled by increased hiring and efficiency, according to the VA's top benefits executive. Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs announced Tuesday that most staff will no longer be required to work up to four hours extra each week, although they still may volunteer to work up to 20 hours of overtime each week. (Kime, 7/9)
Military Times:
Russian Hackers Infiltrate Veterans Affairs Via Microsoft Account
A Microsoft-based Veterans Affairs account was accessed in January by Russian hackers, but no personal information or other data was compromised, an agency official confirmed. The Russian state-sponsored hacker infiltrated a Microsoft platform called Microsoft Azure Government, which provides storage, databases and other services to the VA and other government agencies. (Perez, 7/9)
Modern Healthcare:
How Virtual Reality Helps VA Patients In Clinical, Group Therapy
Dr. Shereef Elnahal has gone all in on virtual and augmented reality since joining the Veterans Health Administration. ... In his two years running the nation's largest integrated health system, Elnahal has championed the use of immersive technology. The system has deployed more than 3,500 virtual and augmented reality headsets at more than 170 medical centers, a 250% increase from around 1,000 headsets deployed in 2023. (Perna, 7/9)
