Veterans’ Choice Program Facing Surprise $1B Shortfall
"If there is no action at all by Congress, then the Choice program will dry up by mid-August," VA Secretary David Shulkin said while asking the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee for help.
The Associated Press:
VA Warns Of Surprise Budget Gap, Insists No Delays In Care
The Department of Veterans Affairs warned Wednesday it was unexpectedly running out of money for a program that offers veterans private-sector health care, forcing it to hold back on some services that lawmakers worry could cause delays in medical treatment. It is making an urgent request to Congress to allow it to shift money from other programs to fill the sudden budget gap. (6/14)
In other news from the administration —
Modern Healthcare:
Mistaken EHR Incentive Payments May Have Been Unavoidable
After it was announced that the CMS potentially made mistaken payments to providers for meaningful use, healthcare policy advisers questioned the agency's oversight capabilities. But some wondered whether the overpayments, which totaled an estimated 12% of incentive payments, may have just been the price of doing business. (Arndt, 6/14)
