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Read. Follow. Verify.Congressional Hearing on Inadequate VA Brain Injury Exams
Record date · January 1, 2018
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What This Bill Does
A House Subcommittee held an to address reports that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) failed to provide required specialist examinations for over 24,000 veterans filing Traumatic Brain Injury () claims between 2008 and 2015. The hearing investigated why the VA did not follow its own policy requiring these exams to be conducted by specific medical specialists.
The VA's failure to use required specialists for exams potentially impacted the disability claim outcomes for 24,000 veterans, affecting their access to benefits and medical care.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Veterans
Veterans who filed TBI claims between 2008 and 2015 may have received examinations from non-specialists, contrary to VA policy.
Department of Veterans Affairs
The agency is under congressional oversight to explain why its internal policies regarding TBI examinations were not followed.
Key Facts
- Between 2008 and 2015, over 24,000 veterans received inadequate TBI examinations.
- VA policy established in 2008 required initial TBI exams to be performed by a neurologist, psychiatrist, physiatrist, or neurosurgeon (the 'big four').
- The VA discovered the failure to follow this policy only after a 2015 news report identified 300 veterans in Minnesota who received exams from unqualified professionals.
- TBI is characterized by symptoms including headaches, mood changes, tinnitus, and difficulty concentrating.
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- The hearing was held by the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs on July 13, 2016.
Frequently Asked Questions
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News Coverage
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Failure of Internal Oversight
The VA failed to detect a policy violation affecting 24,000 veterans over seven years until a third-party news report brought it to light.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment40Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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