Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Minn. Congressman Calls For Wide Examination of VA Brain Injury Care
A Minnesota congressman is calling for a nationwide investigation to determine how many unqualified Veteran's Administration doctors have been doing traumatic brain injury (TBI) exams. The request comes in the wake of disclosures that unqualified doctors performed hundreds of TBI exams at the Minneapolis VA's Compensation and Pension (C&P) Department. Those exams resulted in veterans being improperly denied benefits. (Lagoe and Eckert, 9/10)
Veterans in the San Luis Valley have been driving hundreds of miles for doctor appointments for five months despite a congressional plea to the Department of Veterans Affairs secretary to help them. The only doctor at the VA clinic in Alamosa departed in April, and the agency has been unable to fill the vacancy. A spokesman said the VA has been providing telehealth services and sending doctors part-time from other clinics while it searches for a permanent replacement. (Olinger, 9/9)
