U.S. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) on Thursday introduced the bipartisan VA Provider Accountability Act, bipartisan legislation to prohibit the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) from concealing its providers’ medical mistakes.
“It is our responsibility to stand up for those who put their lives on the line for this country and provide them with the world class medical care they expect and deserve,” said Heller, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
S. 2107 would require the Veterans’ Affairs Under Secretary of Health to report major adverse personnel actions involving VA providers to the National Practitioner Data Bank and to applicable state licensing boards. The measure would also bar the VA from undertaking fired-employee settlements that would facilitate hiding serious errors or purging adverse records from personnel files.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) joined Heller in introducing the bill.
“The VA lists integrity as its first core value, and VA employees make the promise to act with high moral principle and adhere to the highest professional standards,” Heller said. “Our legislation will make sure of it by holding the VA’s feet to the fire so that the veterans the agency exists to serve have trust in their caretakers.”
Heller cited a USA Today investigation reported last month that revealed the VA had not reported one of its physicians who had made scores of harmful surgical mistakes at the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta. Instead, the physician was permitted to discreetly retire, while at the same time senior VA medical officials knew of the situation.
“The investigation’s findings are downright shameful, and we need action immediately to ensure that the VA does not hide medical mistakes or inadequate care,” added Heller. “That’s why Senator Manchin and I introduced legislation that demands transparency and accountability from the VA and puts a stop to concealing serious medical errors through settlements with fired or dismissed VA employees.
“The vast majority of VA healthcare providers are well-trained, caring, patriots who work hard to take care of our nation’s veterans,” Manchin said. “But, just like in any healthcare system, there are bad apples.”
“This common sense piece of legislation ensures that incidences of malpractice do not go unreported to state licensing boards and the National Practitioner Data Bank. It also stops those who commit malpractice from receiving a settlement so they will quietly resign and become a provider outside of the VA,” Manchin added.