Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
VA Owes At Least $189 Million To Disabled Veterans Who Overpaid On Their Home Loans
The Washington Post: VA Owes Disabled Veterans Refunds On Home Loan Fees, Report Says
The federal government owes at least $189 million to 53,000 disabled veterans who overpaid on their home loans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ inspector general. When veterans take out a mortgage, they pay a funding fee to the lender that usually costs several thousand dollars. The fee is waived for veterans who receive disability compensation. A review by VA’s Office of Inspector General released Thursday found that from 2012 through 2017, more than half of the veterans entitled to this added benefit paid the fee and never received reimbursement from the government. (Itkowitz, 6/6)
Sacramento Bee: Thousands Of Veterans Can Choose To See Private-Sector Doctors
Many U.S. military veterans will gain a choice in their health care decisions Thursday, and depending on who’s talking, this new freedom will either give them greater access to doctors closer to their homes or sabotage the quality of care delivered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The debate hinges on implementation of a piece of federal legislation, the MISSION Act. It’s more formally known as the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018. (Anderson, 6/6)
