VA funding dispute sidelines Congress’ appropriations progress
Work on a “minibus” of multiple federal agencies’ fiscal 2019 budgets was abruptly halted Thursday over a dispute regarding Department of Veterans Affairs health funds that critics say could cripple the agency in coming years. A conference committee scheduled to...
Conferees urged to reject Senate-passed Tricare fee increases
The Military Coalition, a consortium of almost three dozen associations and veterans groups, is urging House-Senate conferees, as they negotiate a final defense policy bill, to reject Senate-passed language that would impose higher Tricare enrollment fees and...
Court Interprets Trade Agreements Clause Applicable to Federal Procurements
The US Court of Federal Claims recently interpreted the Trade Agreements Clause applicable to federal government procurements of more than $180,000 as permitting the purchase of domestic end products, even if they are deemed to be products of India or China under the...
Foreign Military Sales Fortify Medical Readiness of U.S. Allies
When the U.S. Army decides to send Soldiers into battle, they do not go alone. Increasingly, military actions are joint, multi-service operations that often include coalition partners. U.S. allies are essential to effective modern warfare. To help protect and build...
FDA takes action to support American military personnel by granting an authorization for freeze-dried plasma product
Today, the U.S Food and Drug Administration announced that an emergency use authorization (EUA) has been granted to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to enable the emergency use of Pathogen-Reduced Leukocyte-Depleted Freeze-Dried Plasma manufactured by the Centre...
NIH and VA collaborate to boost veterans’ access to cancer clinical trials
Veterans with cancer who receive treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will now have easier access to clinical trials of novel cancer treatments, thanks to an agreement between VA and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National...
Senate panel OKs Trump nominee Robert Wilkie to lead troubled VA
A Senate panel has voted to approve President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead Veterans Affairs. The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee agreed on voice vote Tuesday to back Robert Wilkie, currently a Pentagon undersecretary. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont...
Trump’s Chinese tariffs threaten to cost medical device makers $138 million a year, MITA says
President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports will cost American medical device makers more than $138 million this year, the Medical Imaging and TechnologyAlliance estimates. As a result, the group is calling for a “timely and robust exemption process.” MRIs,...
Putting AI to work for veterans’ health
Across the United States, millions of veterans are waiting too long for health care. To address this, Veterans Health Administration hospitals are working diligently to speed up and improve the quality of care delivered to veterans through multiple programs....
Advisory committee wants VA to add outpatient clinic in North Hempstead
North Hempstead veterans in need of medical care drive nearly an hour to the nearest Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northport, a trip that many say is taxing and inconvenient and has spurred an effort to establish an outpatient clinic closer to the aging veterans....