WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – today cosponsored the VA Provider Accountability Act, bipartisan legislation that would bring much-needed accountability to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“It is critical that those on the front lines of caring for our veterans are held to the highest level of accountability,” said Sen. Moran. “I am introducing this legislation to make certain no adverse medical outcome impacting a former servicemember is swept under the rug. Our veterans deserve a VA that is worthy of their service and sacrifice, and holding providers accountable is an important step to restoring trust in the VA.”

A troubling 2017 GAO report revealed an unacceptable trend of VA facilities failing to report providers who made major medical errors to the National Practitioner Data Bank and the relevant state licensing boards responsible for tracking dangerous practitioners. As a result, these practitioners can go into private practice or move across state lines without disclosing prior mistakes to patients or state regulators. A 2017 USA Today story uncovered specific, horrific medical care failures and mistakes that the VA concealed and allowed to continue.

The VA Provider Accountability Act would require the VA to inform the National Practitioner Data Bank and state licensing boards of major adverse actions committed by medical providers at the VA. Additionally, it would prevent the VA from signing settlements with fired employees to hide major medical mistakes in their personnel files.

The VA Provider Accountability Act was authored by U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Full text of the legislation can found here.
 

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