Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Says He'll Sign Legislation Revamping VA Choice Program As Soon As Congress Passes It
The Washington Post: ‘I Will Sign Immediately,’ Trump Promises On Proposal To Expand Private Health Care For Veterans
President Trump on Thursday promised he would “immediately” sign revamped legislation expanding veterans’ access to private medical care at taxpayer expense, if Congress passes a new plan being considered just weeks before the “Choice Program” runs out of money. In a tweet Thursday, the president noted that it has been four years since the wait-times scandal at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Phoenix. That controversy showed that hospital employees were lying about the amount of time veterans waited for urgent health care, including cancer treatment and mental-health counseling. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 5/3)
The Hill: Trump Urges Congress To 'Fix' Veterans Health-Care Program
The Veterans Choice Program allows some veterans to see private doctors. It was created in the wake of the 2014 wait-time scandal that started with the Phoenix Veterans Affairs health-care system. Earlier Thursday, House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) reintroduced a bill that would overhaul private-care options for veterans enrolled in the Veterans Affairs health-care system, as well as expand caregiver benefits for older veterans and create a process for closing excesses facilities. The bill would expand which veterans are eligible to see private-sector health specialists, as well as entitle veterans enrolled in the system to see a private doctor without a co-pay twice a year. (Kheel, 5/3)
CQ: Veterans Health Bill Includes $5.2 Billion For Private Care
House Veterans' Affairs Chairman Phil Roe, R-Tenn., introduced a draft bill Thursday to consolidate Veterans Affairs Department accounts funding private health care options and provide a $5.2 billion cash injection into one popular program in danger of running out of money by June. The panel is expected to take up the measure, which would also provide funding for VA construction projects, on Tuesday. (Mejdrich, 5/3)
Modern Healthcare: House Unveils VA Choice Compromise Bill
It isn't clear how quickly the package could move through the House and Senate. A GOP Senate VA Committee aide told Modern Healthcare that the committee majority supports the legislation but did not respond to a question on timing. A spokesperson for Jon Tester of Montana, ranking Democrat on the Senate VA Committee, did not respond to a request for comment on his position. Tester supported the earlier draft version of the VA Choice reform bill that Congress failed to pass with the March spending omnibus. He had urged his fellow lawmakers to pass the reforms for months. (Luthi, 5/3)
