President’s Briefing: Biden Administration Punts on Deadline to Recommend Sweeping Changes to VA Health Care
President’s Briefing: NG-1/6/22 (FMLA and AWOL)
January 11, 2022President’s Briefing: OCHCO BULLETIN: UPDATED GUIDANCE & ISOLATION w/LEAVE OPTIONS
January 11, 2022To further improve communication lines and respond to the concerns between the National VA Council and you, our members, I have established a National VA Council Briefing. This NVAC Briefing will bring you the latest news and developments within DVA and provide you with the current status of issues this Council is currently addressing. This NVAC Briefing will significantly enhance how we communicate and how we share new information, keeping you better informed.
To further improve communication lines and respond to the concerns between the National VA Council and you, our members, I have established a National VA Council Briefing. This NVAC Briefing will bring you the latest news and developments within DVA and provide you with the current status of issues this Council is currently addressing. This NVAC Briefing will significantly enhance how we communicate and how we share new information, keeping you better informed.
Alma L. Lee
National VA Council, President
Biden Administration Punts on Deadline to Recommend Sweeping Changes to VA Health Care
Initial proposals for VA's BRAC-style review delayed due to COVID-19 case surge.The Biden administration is delaying its recommendations to “modernize and realign” the Veterans Affairs Department, punting for six weeks required proposals that could drastically reshape the agency’s footprint and workforce.
VA announced the postponement Friday, citing the more than 10,000 employees currently unable to work due to COVID-19. The recommendations required under the 2018 VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act are ready, VA officials said, but Secretary Denis McDonough does not want to make them public until he and his team can spell out the details to the workforce. VA will eventually send its proposals for where to expand health care options for veterans and potentially close existing facilities to the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) commission.
Given the potential impact on the workforce, a VA official said, McDonough is delaying the announcement until senior staff can safely communicate the plans through town halls in each of VA's regions. The department has a statutory deadline to post its recommendations in the Federal Register by Jan. 31, but will push that into mid-March due to the surging COVID-19 cases. The proposals are also supposed to go to the commission by that time, but the panel does not yet exist as all of the nominees have yet to be submitted to the Senate for consideration and approval.
