Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
VA To Detail Improvements To Suicide Hotline Following Troubling Report On Its Flaws
The Associated Press: VA Defending Work To Fix Troubled Veteran Suicide Hotline
The Department of Veterans Affairs is telling skeptical members of Congress that it has fixed problems with its suicide hotline that were highlighted in a critical recent internal watchdog report. A March 20 audit by the VA inspector general had found that nearly a third of calls to the Veterans Crisis Line as recently as November were bounced to back-up centers run by an outside contractor. The rollover calls happen when phone lines are busy, leading to possible waits of 30 minutes or more. (Yen, 4/4)
The Associated Press: Senate Agrees To Extend VA's Program Of Private-Sector Care
The Senate on Monday approved legislation that would extend a troubled program aimed at widening veterans' access to private-sector health care, the first step in an overhaul of programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. (Yen, 4/3)
And in other news —
The Associated Press: DOJ: For Decade, Sanofi Vaccine Unit Overcharged VA On Meds
The vaccines unit of French pharmaceutical company Sanofi SA will pay a $19.9 million fine for overcharging the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for two products between 2002 and 2011. By law, drug manufacturers cannot charge the VA more than a maximum level called the Federal Ceiling Price for drugs. (4/3)
