Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Beyond Dire': Understaffing, Facility Closures, Long Wait Times Plague VA
Impact of understaffing, facility closures and waiting times has been "dire" under Trump’s second term, medical workers say. (Baram, 11/3)
VA vowed to modernize its disability benefits system. As criticism from veterans and their advocates has mounted, efforts to move forward have stalled. (Rein, Whitlock and Gilbert, 11/6)
The number of vets receiving 100 percent disability ratings has surged in recent years. For-profit firms, influencers and the VA play a large role in the trend. (Rein, Whitlock, Gilbert and Schaffer, 11/5)
What Happened: More than two dozen Democrats in the House are pressing the Trump administration to reverse a new policy at the Department of Veterans Affairs that makes it harder for male veterans with breast cancer to get health coverage. The demand, issued in a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins, follows a ProPublica story last week that revealed the change. (Umansky, 11/6)
The new regulations have restricted shaving waivers as well, allowing them for religious accommodations and only temporary ones for medical conditions. Those waivers must now be approved by unit commanders. (Stassis, 11/4)
