WASHINGTON—Blue Water Navy veterans who want to file disability claims related to Agent Orange exposure will have to wait until next year to have their claims processed, VA announced last month.
Unions Go to Court to Stop VA Changes in ‘Official Time’ Policy
VA’s announcement that it would eliminate paid union-related official time for medical professionals, as of Nov. 15, has drawn a lawsuit from unions representing the agency’s employees.
Congress Urged to Find a Cost-Effective Way to Expand Benefits to Pre-9/11 Veteran Caregivers
WASHINGTON — Veterans from earlier eras should have expanded benefits related to family caregiver, but only if they are severely injured, VA officials have told Congress.
VA Cancer Patients Less Likely to Receive Excessive Care at End of Life
VA patients dying of cancer are far less likely to receive excessive and unnecessary end-of-life interventions than those treated by Medicare.
New Executive Order Guarantees a Year of Mental Healthcare After Separation from Service
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the DoD, VA and Homeland Security departments develop a plan to ensure that all new veterans receive mental healthcare for at least one year following their separation from service.
VA Reduces Email Burden for Clinicians to Allow More Time, Focus on Patients
By Annette M. Boyle WASHINGTON—Concerned about how much time clinicians spend reading and responding to emails, the VA is changing its messaging system so that more of their focus can be on patient care. The new approach to the inbox notifications system, developed in...
VA Promises Changes After Widespread Failure to Report Clinician Safety Issues
VA officials sought to reassure lawmakers that the agency is responding appropriately to an oversight report finding that several medical providers who gave harmful care to patients were never reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) or state licensing boards (SLB).
Shortage of Supplies Might Have Delayed Medical Procedures at VAMCs
In response to complaints that clinicians at VAMCs lack adequate medical and surgical products to care for veterans, VA conceded it needs to make its product formulary more robust.
Law Seeks to Resolve Veterans Claims Backlog by Creating Multiple ‘Lanes’
President Donald Trump signed a bill last month aimed at reforming a backlogged claims appeal process by creating three “lanes” for veterans’ appeals.
Slow Start for ‘Choice’ Program to Give Veterans More Care Options
Family Physicians Unlikely to Participate Without Rate Increases By Brenda L. Mooney WASHINGTON - VA officials have been accused of being less than enthusiastic about a new law passed to provide outside care options for certain veterans. If that is true, they aren't...
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