Annual Check-Ups for the Veterans Health Administration (H.R. 2256)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 2256?
(Updated December 22, 2017)
This bill would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to relevant congressional committees every year.
The annual report would evaluate how effective the VHA program is at increasing access to hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care provided by the VA to eligible veterans.
The report would assess the extent to which the VHA has improved the quality of care received by those veterans — without increasing costs to the government or those veterans. Information for each medical center and Veterans Integrated Service Network would also be included.
Additionally, the annual report would evaluate:
The workload of physicians and other employees of the VHA
Patient demographics and utilization rates
Physician compensation
The productivity of physicians and other employees of the VHA
The percentage of hospital care, medical services and nursing home care provided to the veterans in both VHA and non-VHA facilities, and how those percentages have changed from the preceding year
Pharmaceutical prices
This bill would also create a tracking system for biological implants — i.e. any animal or human cell, tissue, or cellular or tissue-based product regulated as a device by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. A commission to assess the effectiveness of mental health care programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would be created. This bill also expands the definition of "homeless veterans" to make more vets eligible for VA programs and benefits.
Argument in favor
There needs to be increased Congressional oversight of the the VA’s health care system after the neglect exposed by the recent wait-list scandal. Annual check-ins are a step in that direction.
Argument opposed
The VA is doing the best it can with the resources at its disposal. This bill adds to the burden the VA is already managing, and requiring a robust annual report will divert resources from more useful activities.
Impact
Veterans, eligible service members who are not receiving care through the VHA, the VHA, the VA, and relevant congressional committees.
Cost of H.R. 2256
The CBO estimates that implementing this bill would increase costs to VA by $9 million from 2016 to 2020.
Additional Info
Of Note: Early in 2014, the VA Health Administration scandal became widely publicized after it was revealed that 35 veterans had died waiting to receive care from VA healthcare facilities.
A VA audit conducted after the scandal came to light found that over 120,000 veterans were on the waiting lists or never received medical care. The audit cited demand in excess of capacity as a contributing factor in the crisis, which led to VA officials using unofficial waiting lists to make wait times appear shorter — a practice that was incentivized by the VA's bonus structure.
Media:
Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: "US Navy 120120-N-JN664-002 Lt. Cmdr. Howard Pryor, a Navy doctor, makes an incision into an epidermal inclusion cyst on the head of a patient in th" by U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Karolina A. Martinez - This Image was released by the United States Navy with the ID 120120-N-JN664-002 (next). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
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