Wait times at VA hospitals could increase

A failed vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday caused lawmakers to warn that wait times at VA medical centers around the country could return to months-long levels.

The House failed to get two-thirds of the required votes needed to get legislation passed that would have funneled $2 billion of existing funds out of other programs and into the Veterans Choice program.

The Choice program has been heralded by administration officials as a way for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce wait times by allowing eligible veterans to seek care outside of the VA system. But House members on both sides of the aisle have acknowledged the program is flawed and needs reform.

The two-thirds vote was necessary to suspend parliamentary rules to conduct business on the legislation. That effort failed, 219-186, 71 votes short, ending discussion on the legislation.

Staff members of Tennessee Rep. Scott Desjarlais’ office said Tuesday another vote in regular order could take place as soon as this week. That vote would require only a simple majority.

Congress often suspends its rules to debate legislation is viewed as non-controversial. To do so, a two-thirds majority vote is needed. Putting the legislation on a regular calendar would require only a simple majority.

Republican and Democratic leaders

had agreed on a plan last week and led some lawmakers to believe the bill to be non-controversial.

U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said during committee hearings and work sessions he and ranking Democrat Rep. Tim Walz of Minnesota had come to an agreement to fund the program for six months, but that agreement fell through.

“This was a bipartisan agreement, and I’m disappointed the concerns raised on the House floor [Monday] were not mentioned during what I thought was an open and honest conversation,” he said in a statement.

Major veterans organizations including the Veterans for Foreign Wars, AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans for America and others were against the move, saying it threatened other benefits to veterans.

“As we have repeatedly told House leaders in person this week, and in a jointly signed letter on June 28, we oppose legislation that includes funding only for the ‘choice’ program which provides additional community care options, but makes no investment in VA and uses ‘savings’ from other veterans benefits or services to ‘pay’ for the ‘choice’ program,” the statement said.

The conservative veterans organization Concerned Veterans for America supported the temporary funding.

The program has been referred to as a way to enable veterans who live outside urban areas or far from VA medical centers to access care through private providers.

When conceived, the program was given a sunset this year, which will now take effect.

VA Secretary David Shulkin and President Donald Trump have both signaled support for the program and the future direction of the troubled federal agency.

Shulkin told members during a round of testimony earlier in the summer that allowing the program to sunset would be a “disaster” for veterans and push wait times to those seen before a scandal in Phoenix came to light in April 2014.

Earlier this year, Trump signed legislation authorizing Shulkin to exhaust remaining funds to keep the program afloat while lawmakers worked out a solution.

But less than three years into existence, the program is now broke. Shulkin has told Congress in recent weeks the Choice program would run out of money by mid-August, when Congress is in recess.

Because of the failed vote, veterans who were using the Choice program to access care away from VA facilities will have to return to getting that care at VA medical centers, a scenario VA leaders warned would cause a spike in wait times similar to those seen in Phoenix, where veterans would wait months — and in some cases die — before getting care.

Roe also noted in his statement that third-party administrators could see layoffs as well.

Jake Lowary covers veterans and military affairs for the USA Today Network. Reach him at 931237-1583 or follow him on Twitter @JakeLowary.