Senators announced a bipartisan agreement Thursday to address several issues at the beleaguered Department of Veterans Affairs that they expect will help reduce long wait times for veterans seeking care while also providing hundreds of millions of dollars to hire more doctors and nurses to treat veterans.Read the rest here.
"Right now we have a crisis on our hands and it’s imperative that we deal with that crisis," Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in announcing the deal Thursday afternoon.
The agreement will allow eligible veterans to use non-VA medical care if they are experiencing long wait times or live more than 40 miles from the nearest VA hospital or clinic. Veterans could choose instead to opt into the Medicare program, visit federally-qualified health centers, Indian Health Centers or facilities run by the Defense Department.
To address burgeoning demand for VA care, the bill would authorize the department to enter into leases for 26 major medical facilities in 18 states nationwide and to spend $500 million to hire new doctors and nurses with expedited hiring authority.
Dear God, Congress is doing something productive and they are doing it quickly. I think I need to go lie down.
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