Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Battle Quietly Brewing Over Privatization Of Veterans' Health Care
ProPublica: Trump Administration Plots Costly Private-Care Expansion For Veterans
The administration is working on a plan to shift millions more veterans to private doctors and is aiming to unveil the proposal during Trump’s State of Union address in January, according to four people briefed on the proposal. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to disclose information about the administration’s plans. The cost of expanding private care is hard to predict, but VA officials have told Congress and veterans groups that it will range from $13.9 billion to $32.1 billion over five years, the four people said. Since the administration opposes lifting overall government spending, Democrats say the increased cost of private care will come at the expense of the VA’s own health system. Some lawmakers said the administration’s plan defies the purpose of the law they passed. (Arnsdorf, 11/15)
The Washington Post: GI Bill: Veterans Wait Months For Payments Because Of VA Technology Failures
Daniel Gorman knows what it’s like to return from war, and he wants to help fellow veterans come home, too: The former sailor turned New York National Guardsman is finishing a graduate degree in social work at Fordham University. But the Department of Veterans Affairs has thrown his fall semester into chaos by underpaying him without notice or explanation — making him one veteran among potentially tens of thousands on the GI Bill who have watched their bank accounts dwindle because of the agency’s ongoing technology failures. (Horton, 11/15)
In other veterans' health care news —
The Associated Press: Meditation Helps Vets With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Meditation worked as well as traditional therapy for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder in a small experiment sponsored by the Department of Defense. One method preferred by the Department of Veterans Affairs is exposure therapy, but it doesn't work for everyone and many can't handle what it requires: purposely recalling traumatic events and confronting emotions. (Johnson, 11/15)
Health News Florida: Gaetz, Democratic Ally Back Veterans’ Marijuana Bills
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and a Massachusetts Democrat on Wednesday introduced a package of legislation to change the Department of Veterans Affairs' medical marijuana practices in an attempt to make cannabis a more realistic treatment option for veterans. Gaetz, a Northwest Florida Republican, joined with U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., to prepare three bills that seek to learn more about how veterans use cannabis, to prepare better medical-marijuana education for providers and to protect the benefits of veterans who use marijuana. (Young, 11/15)
