VA promises faster action on unpaid bills from outside health providers

Federal Times: WASHINGTON — As their stack of unpaid bills continues to grow, Veterans Affairs officials are promising a host of reforms in coming months to more quickly pay community providers for care they deliver to veterans.

The new moves, announced Wednesday, include creating new “rapid response teams” to settle the largest outstanding bills within 90 days and awarding at least four new contracts this year to provide faster payments in the future.

In a statement, VA Secretary David Shulkin called the reforms “vital to the health of our network of providers” and to veterans’ health.

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