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After Army Staff Sgt. Alex Dillman was paralyzed from the abdomen down in a bomb blast in Afghanistan, the Department of Veterans Affairs paid to retrofit his Chevy Silverado truck so he could drive it and bought him a handcycle so he could exercise. But the agency ... won’t pay for what the onetime squad leader and his wife, Holly, ache for most: a chance to have children. VA will not pick up the bill for in vitro fertilization .... Under a 23-year-old law, VA is prohibited from covering IVF. ... Now, however, veterans and lawmakers from both parties are pushing to overturn the ban. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 5/25)

Veterans would get specialized medical care from private doctors more easily under a bill the Senate approved Friday. The measure relaxes a rule that makes getting specialized care from local doctors difficult for some veterans, especially those in rural areas. Senators approved the bill by voice vote as they rushed to wrap up legislative work before a weeklong Memorial Day recess. ... Senators said the measure was needed because some veterans were unable to get federally paid medical care from private doctors under the new Veterans Choice Act. The law blocks veterans from getting private care if they live within 40 miles of a VA medical facility, even if the veteran needs specialized care that is farther away. (Daly, 5/22)

The Senate passed a measure Friday afternoon to keep the construction of the $1 billion over budget Denver Va hospital going after Congress reached a deal Thursday that would raise the spending cap by $100 million. But that deal only allows work at the site to continue for three weeks. ... House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) says he can’t believe that the department has yet to fire those responsible for the cost overruns. “America’s patience is running out,” Miller said Thursday, after the deal was reached. The VA says it needs another $830 million to finish the project. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 5/22)

Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to back the Veterans Equal Access Amendment. Under the measure, Veterans Affairs (VA) would be allowed to recommend medical marijuana to patients for medicinal purposes for everything from back pain to depression to flashbacks. Veterans who support the proposal say that it is safer and helps more than the addictive and debilitating painkillers that are often prescribed. They say using medical cannabis can help combat PTSD’s insomnia and panic attacks. The legislation would overturn VA’s policy that forbids doctors from talking to patients about medical pot use. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 5/25)