Congress OKs funding shift to keep VA hospitals open. Why was this action necessary?

2015-07-30T15:04:42-04:00

Veterans Affairs Department officials will get the budget help they need to avoid facility shutdowns in August after the Senate approved a last-minute deal Thursday.

The move comes a day after House lawmakers overwhelmingly backed the plan and about a week after VA Secretary Bob McDonald appeared on Capitol Hill to warn Congress that health care for tens of thousands of veterans could be disrupted without a budget fix.

The measure allows the VA to use about $3.3 billion in funds assigned solely to the new Choice Card program to cover other account shortfalls, a move that lawmakers have resisted over the last year.

But McDonald said use of the Choice Card program has grown slowly while outside care programs have increased dramatically, leading to the budget problems.

The measure includes language to consolidate all outside care efforts into a single “Veterans Choice Program,” to provide less bureaucracy and better funding flexibility. VA officials must submit plans to do that by November.

It also requires biweekly reports to Congress on how the transferred money is being spent, in response to lawmakers’ concerns they were caught unaware of the department’s mounting financial problems.

“We’re in this situation, quite frankly, because of gross ineptitude in planning that can only be characterized as malpractice in management,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, in the moments before the vote. “Congress cannot be expected to continue to bail out VA because of mismanagement.”

Department officials said they didn’t know the extent of the shortfall until the start of the summer, but have warned for the last year that inflexible budget accounts could create such fiscal woes.

But critics have accused the VA of covering up the budget problems until the last minute in order to raid the Choice Card program, authorized by Congress last summer in an effort to force the VA to give veterans wider options in their health care offerings.

Lawmakers set aside $10 billion for the temporary program, and have repeatedly resisted efforts to draw on that money for other purposes. But McDonald said other established outside care programs have proven to be a quicker outlet for getting veterans into doctors' offices, and freeing up the money better responds to the population’s needs.

The VA funding transfer was included as part of the three-month highway bill extension rushed through Congress in the final days of the summer session.

It also includes language expanding the Choice Card program to allow more veterans facing lengthy wait times for VA care to seek private-sector help, including exemptions for veterans who live within 40 miles of a VA clinic to go outside if that facility doesn’t offer the specialized services they need.

The bill also includes the so-called “Hire More Heroes” Act, billed by Republicans as both a boost to veterans employment and a chance to roll back part of the president's controversial health care law.

The measure would allow businesses to hire veterans without having them count as full-time employees under the Affordable Care Act, provided they already have health insurance through the VA or the Defense Department.

Congressional Democrats and the White House have publicly complained about the motivation behind the law but also offered limited objections, calling it a reasonable update to health insurance rules.

President Obama is expected to sign the measure into law in the next few days.

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/capitol-hill/2015/07/30/congress-oks-funding-shift--keep-va-hospitals-open/30888187/

Congress OKs funding shift to keep VA hospitals open

Veterans Affairs Department officials will get the budget help they need to avoid facility shutdowns in August after the Senate approved a last-minute deal Thursday.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Jul 30 at 2015 3:12 PM

2015-07-30T15:12:11-04:00

Isn't this just "robbing Peter to pay Paul" to crib a quote from my Christian brothers and sisters?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 30 at 2015 3:12 PM

2015-07-30T15:12:33-04:00

The VA is just incompetent and "sneaky", however, Thank You to Congress.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Jul 30 at 2015 3:12 PM

2015-07-30T15:12:53-04:00

That is good news GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad . I did not know that there was actually a threat that the VA Hospitals would be closed for lack of funding.
In fact I was at my VA Medical Center yesterday for a Thallium Stress Test. I am thankful for the treatment, care and professionalism offered within the VA medical System

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 30 at 2015 3:33 PM

2015-07-30T15:33:31-04:00

Biweekly reports...smells like the beginnings of accountability, something sorely lacking at the VA. And while we don't expect Congress to continue to bail out VA because of mismanagement, we do expect them to follow through and hold its' management accountable.

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Jul 30 at 2015 3:43 PM

2015-07-30T15:43:23-04:00

It is a shame that the VA does not start by closing top management, and middle management positions along with all bonuses.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Jul 30 at 2015 5:28 PM

2015-07-30T17:28:53-04:00

There should be no funding shift. We owe it to our troops to fully fund the VA.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 30 at 2015 6:57 PM

2015-07-30T18:57:58-04:00

“We’re in this situation, quite frankly, because of gross ineptitude in planning that can only be characterized as malpractice in management,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, in the moments before the vote. “Congress cannot be expected to continue to bail out VA because of mismanagement.” And what about Congress and their gross ineptitude in planning and malpractice in managing our country? Why should the American people continue to bail out our nation because of the mismanagement of Congress?

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Jul 31 at 2015 8:54 AM

2015-07-31T08:54:52-04:00

"The Senate passed a bill Thursday allowing the VA to take the money from a $10 billion emergency fund created last summer to help veterans caught up in the troubled health care system’s wait-time scandal. The House voted in favor of the measure Wednesday evening."

YGBSM!

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Jul 31 at 2015 11:07 AM

2015-07-31T11:07:04-04:00

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad, I am re-posting my response to a more broader VA funding question that was merged into this one. The issue is how to improve use of tax dollars to improve VA service to veterans.
1st construction costs should be set aside for professional building design and construction companies under an impartial watchdog organization.
2nd Medical doctors, nurses, technicians need to have less bureaucratic oversight of their treatment recommendations, decisions and plans.
Biennial funding would be a start to improve funding, letting unused funds be used the following year would be another good idea. The "color of money" rules should be changed to allow funds for treatment of veterans to be moved from one of the programs to another without congressional approval but with IG oversight.
I used the Choice Card program this summer - it got off to a rough start but worked more smoothly after I assisted the doctors's office in their communications with VA Choice Program.
Edit

Response by PO1 John Miller made Aug 2 at 2015 12:38 AM

2015-08-02T00:38:07-04:00

While I am happy that the VA will get their funding and we vets will continue to get our health care, I am really starting to get fed up with this last minute shit. I remember a few years ago when I was still on active duty, and the threat of DoD shutting down and the military having to work without pay was a very real threat. A lot of financial institutions that members banked with had already started posting half pay checks to accounts (my bank Navy Federal included) and CONgress signed a last-minute extension. And the underlying problem STILL isn't fixed. That's what I see with the VA's budget right now.

Of course the VA COULD help themselves by maintaining accountability for their spending as outlined in your post, but we'll have to wait and see if that actually happens.