Veterans
Senate Veterans’ Affairs chair calls for more mental health care providers in rural areas
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., asked VA Secretary Denis McDonough to increase the number of providers and ensure they are “in locations where veterans need them most.”
VA is trimming its PACT Act claims backlog, but enrollees may be on the ‘low side’
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough says that the department is quickly processing new claims made by veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service, thanks, in part, to robust hiring, but warns that those claims may not have hit their peak yet.
Bill wants to solve the coverage gap for National Guard and reservists by extending VA eligibility
Legislation from Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., proposes to expand VA health care benefits to personnel in the reserve components when not on active duty to help ensure “force readiness.”
VA claims appeal board errors are the target of a new House bill
The Veterans Claims Quality Improvement Act seeks to mitigate errors made by the Board of Veterans’ Appeals with new training, performance evaluations and required reports to Congress.
Give administrative leave to veterans for VA appointments
COMMENTARY | This is a necessary step in honoring our veterans in federal service.
DOD, other agencies could better transition service members to civilian life
GAO officials said the Defense, Veterans Affairs and Labor departments could better collaborate to provide more at-risk veterans “warm handovers” to help transition them from military service to civilian life.
VA to shed 10,000 employees at underutilized facilities in FY25
The department plans to use attrition only and focus on staff in supervisory and administrative roles.
The fight against veteran homelessness demands a concerted effort
COMMENTARY | "Only through a united front can we hope to honor the service of our veterans by ensuring they have the security and dignity of a place to call home," writes Navy veteran Michael Embrich.
VA aims to house 41,000 homeless veterans in 2024
The goal is slightly reduced from the total it achieved in 2023, when the department set an all-time record.
Veterans Affairs expands IVF access to unmarried and same-sex veterans
Up to now, the VA has only provided IVF care for married veterans who were able to use their own eggs or sperm during the process, but the new announcement allows veterans to use donor eggs, sperm and embryos.
House Committee wants to interview 8 VA officials in harassment probe
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., sent a letter asking for interviews with several senior leaders as part of the committee’s ongoing investigation into sexual harassment allegations in one of the department’s offices.
Senator wants USPS to address veteran medication delays
Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mt., wants answers from the Postmaster General about ongoing issues veterans have had receiving VA-prescribed medications by mail.
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GAO: Severe complications for pregnant veterans nearly doubled in the last decade
The report, which notes that Black women have a higher rate of complication, recommends that the VA collect more data on mental health, race and ethnicity to understand the reasons for the disparity.
Lawmakers urge VA to tread carefully with AI
The Department of Veteran Affairs’ 2023 inventory of AI use cases listed 100 instances where VA is working to use emerging technologies, with at least 40 of those examples in an operational phase.
VA secretary says he ‘failed’ in recognizing office harassment allegations
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough candidly admitted fault during a House committee hearing for not discerning more quickly whistleblower complaints of sexual harassment within a department office.
10 years on, OPM keeps its pay freeze in place for senior officials
With budget negotiations ongoing, OPM officials said that the pay rates for the vice president and other senior political officials will remain frozen until at least the expiration of the latest continuing resolution.
VA lacks the emergency budget modeling to prepare for health crises like COVID, GAO says
The watchdog said that the Veterans Health Administration does not have the modeling capability to predict how much supplemental funding would be needed to address a black swan event like the pandemic.
Vet centers need better systems, data to enhance support services
Watchdog officials warned lawmakers that the community-based counseling centers for returning veterans use a platform for identifying those at high risk of suicide that is “neither effectively nor consistently utilized.”
How advanced and emerging technology can help VA save lives
COMMENTARY | Veterans remain at an elevated risk of suicide. Here’s how we can fix that.
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