Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
VA Agent Orange Debate Reveals Dueling Considerations Of Liability, Responsibility And Science
Last year, a group of federal scientists was debating whether as many as 2,100 Air Force veterans should qualify for cash benefits for ailments they claimed stemmed from flying aircraft contaminated by Agent Orange. ... The scientists within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs agreed the airmen had a strong case. But they had a more calculated concern: If the VA doled out cash to these veterans, others might want it too, according to an internal document obtained by ProPublica and The Virginian-Pilot. (Ornstein and Hixenbaugh 6/15)
In other veterans' health care news —
The land where the South Texas Veterans Health Care System built its North San Antonio outpatient clinic a decade ago has been sold, but the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said the clinic will continue providing patients a full range of health care services at that location. (O’Hare, 6/14)
