Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
VA Hospices Face Unique Challenges In Providing End-Of-Life Care For Veterans
The New York Times: As Vietnam Veterans Age, Hospices Aim To Meet Their Needs
When Timothy Hellrung was told he had aggressive cancer this past June and had only days or weeks to live, he knew where he wanted to die. Mr. Hellrung, a 73-year-old veteran of the Vietnam War disabled by Agent Orange, spent his last 10 days in hospice care at the community living center of the V.A. Ann Arbor Healthcare System in Michigan. The staff provided him with a roomy suite. A social worker wheeled in a bed for his wife of 44 years, Brenda, and gave her pajamas so she could be comfortable spending every night with him. (Halpert, 11/11)
The New York Times: How The 2020 Democrats Plan To Help Veterans
The large field of Democrats running for president may have differing views on the best way to provide health care to the masses or exactly how to reform the immigration system. But when it comes to helping America’s veterans they largely agree: The Department of Veterans Affairs needs some serious help, and those who have served need much better access to benefits, health care, housing, education and jobs. (Stevens, 11/11)
Vox: The One Big Policy Change 2020 Democrats Want To Make For Veterans, Explained
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) have all released new plans that include measures to expand VA benefits to 500,000 veterans who are currently denied them because of their discharge status. Simply put, veterans with an “honorable” discharge — meaning a service member ended their service in good standing with no issues whatsoever — can use the VA for their physical and mental health care needs, as well as for readjustment into civilian life and reemployment assistance. It’s the only designation that doesn’t negatively impact a veteran’s benefits. (Ward, 11/11)
CBS News: FitOps Foundation Helping Veterans Transition To Civilian Life
Army veteran Randy Lloyd hit rock bottom after serving during the height of the Iraq War. His job was to hunt for roadside bombs. Lloyd said he realized he had post-traumatic stress disorder when he found himself waking up, thinking he was "over there." Lloyd turned to drugs, ended up in jail for felony possession and then, he said, it got worse. "I overdosed. The paramedic looks at me and says, 'You were dead. You might want to start thinking about what you're doing,'" Lloyd said. (O'Donnell, 11/11)
The Washington Post: Veterans Day Search-And-Rescue Mission Targets District’s Homeless
About 40 volunteers, led by a handful of former military personnel, marked Veterans Day on Monday by reaching out to homeless veterans in the District. The effort — organized by Veterans on the Rise and the Union Veterans Council of the AFL-CIO — targeted shelters and other places frequented by the homeless. The volunteers gathered in the parking lot of Shiloh Baptist Church for an 8 a.m. briefing before breaking into smaller teams that handed out kits containing toiletries, gloves, socks and wool caps to anyone who needed them. They also handed out cards with information on how to obtain temporary shelter or assistance from Veterans Affairs. (Kunkle, 11/11)
The Washington Post: Dept. Of Veterans Affairs Believes Video Games Can Help Soldiers Reconnect, Reduce Suicides
After Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella crashed his car into a sand trap in the Xbox One video game Forza, he wondered aloud if it was time to give up. His competitor, Roger Brannon, thought differently. “Never give up,” Brannon said. “That’s a Marine,” Nadella replied. Brannon, a veteran who served in the armed forces for over half his life, was playing against Nadella using Microsoft’s Adaptive Controller, a video game controller designed for individuals with limited mobility. Brannon, who suffers from the neuromuscular disease ALS, demonstrated the benefits of the device to Microsoft leadership at the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C. in early October. (Andrejev, 11/11)
CBS Boston: 2 Men Are Running 500 Miles For Veteran Suicide Awareness
Josh Milich and Brian Tjersland are both ultra-runners who have finished 100 mile marathons. Now, they are attempting to do something even more extreme on Veterans Day – a 500-mile run. They left the Massachusetts National Cemetery on Cape Cod Monday and will run all the way to the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, averaging about two marathons a day for 11 days in a row. Their goal is to raise awareness about veteran suicide. (Meiler, 11/11)
