Senators Reach Deal on VA Healthcare Bill

Senators have agreed on bipartisan legislation aimed at solving the problems plaguing the Department of Veterans Affairs and its hospitals across the country, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

To address wide-spread accusations that executives of VA hospitals were implementing secret wait lists, falsifying records and receiving bonuses based on false information, the legislation would give the agency more authority when firing executives.

Under the bill, VA executives could be immediately fired without documentation of poor performance reviews, as is currently required. Although the legislation allows for executives to be immediately terminated from their positions, they are given a seven-day appeal period. 

The legislation would also allow veterans to use private medical providers if they live more than 40 miles away from a VA hospital, or if they experience long wait times, according to the report.

More Articles on the VA:

10 Things to Know About the Alleged VA Cover-Up 
VA Knew Of Patient Wait Time Data Manipulation in 2010 
Toby Cosgrove Top of White House List to Lead VA

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