Jun 25 Veterans Affairs says agency faces $2.5 billion budget shortfall By Matthew Daly, Associated Press The Department of Veterans Affairs said Thursday it faces a budget shortfall of more than $2.5 billion, mainly because of increased demand by veterans for health care, including new life-saving treatments for Hepatitis C. Continue reading
Jun 21 Report: Vets on waiting lists for health care up 50 percent since last year By Associated Press The number of veterans seeking health care but ending up on waiting lists of one month or more is 50 percent higher now than it was a year ago when a scandal over false records and long wait times wracked… Continue reading
May 22 VA must find millions to finish troubled Denver hospital By Dan Elliott, Associated Press DENVER — Construction crews are returning to work at the veterans hospital outside Denver after a last-minute deal with congressional leaders avoided a shutdown of the half-finished project. Continue reading
May 14 VA wastes $5 billion a year in improper purchases By Matthew Daly, Associated Press WASHINGTON — A senior official at the Department of Veterans Affairs says the agency is improperly spending at least $5 billion a year for medical care and supplies that are being purchased outside of required practices for competitive bidding and… Continue reading
May 06 Watch 7:36 News Wrap: Baltimore mayor asks for federal review of police By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Wednesday, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake asked the Justice Department to investigate the city’s police department following the death of Freddie Gray. She said a review would show if the case is part of a pattern of… Continue watching
Apr 30 House panel expands probe into how Veterans Affairs handled disability and pension claims By Hope Yen, Associated Press A House committee voted Thursday to issue a subpoena of the Department of Veterans Affairs for personnel and complaint files at its Philadelphia office, part of an expanding probe into mishandling of veterans' disability and pensions claims. Continue reading
Mar 24 VA says it will relax 40-mile rule for private medical care By Matthew Daly, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Responding to pressure from Congress and veterans groups, the Department of Veterans Affairs is relaxing a rule that makes it hard for some veterans in rural areas to prove they live at least 40 miles from a VA… Continue reading
Mar 17 VA watchdog defends actions in contracting report By Matthew Daly, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Call it the battle of the watchdogs. The inspector general’s office at the Department of Veterans Affairs is defending its actions after the office came under unusual criticism from its counterpart at the Treasury Department. Continue reading
Mar 13 Watch 3:19 News Wrap: White House intruder pleads guilty By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Friday, Omar Gonzalez, the man who breached White House security and entered the executive mansion in September, pleaded guilty in court. Also, President Obama visited a VA hospital in Arizona where long delays and falsified wait… Continue watching
Feb 24 Watch 4:34 News Wrap: DOJ declines to charge George Zimmerman By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Tuesday, the Justice Department announced that they found insufficient evidence to charge George Zimmerman for the death of Trayvon Martin in a civil rights case. Also, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald apologized for falsely claiming… Continue watching