The Veterans Affairs Department spends billions of dollars on private medical care without contracts and, although the process does not comply with acquisition regulations, using contracts would be too burdensome, said a VA official during congressional testimony.
“VA acknowledges that our long-standing procurement processes for care in the community need improvement,” said Edward Murray, VA’s acting secretary for management at a June 1 House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations hearing.
The VA is expected to spend about $10 billion on healthcare outside of the VA health system in fiscal 2015, said Murray. Lawmakers were concerned by the amount of money spent on private healthcare – VA cites distance to health centers and a shortage of clinicians as barriers to care – and the lack of contracts.
“If the atom bomb can be built and wars conducted under the acquisition regulations, surely VA can deliver patient care under them as well,” Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.).
Keep reading this article at: http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/va-says-using-contracts-private-medical-care-would-be-too-burdensome/2015-06-02
See webcast of June 1, 2015 House Veterans Affairs subcommittee at: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62985463
