VA failed to spend $1.9 billion designated for health care, report finds

[nitpicker]

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2016/01/12/va-failed-spend-19-billion-designated-health-care-report-finds/78701854/

VA failed to spend $1.9 billion designated for health care, report finds
By Patricia Kime, Staff writer 9:11 p.m. EST January 12, 2016

An audit of the Veterans Health Administration’s private health care program books finds the department failed to spend $1.9 billion – or 40 percent – of the $4.8 billion designated for non-VA care in fiscal 2013.

Also, from Oct. 1, 2013, through March 31, 2015, medical center administrators overestimated the funds they needed to pay for outside care for veterans by $543 million, leaving that amount unavailable for patient care, according to a new Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report.
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The VA IG said the failure occurred because VA administrators have not provided medical directors with the tools they need to estimate costs and that medical center staff were not required to adjust estimated costs routinely to reflect actual costs.

“We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health improve cost estimation tools, update system software to ensure unused funds can be ‘deobligated,' require facilities to adjust cost estimates … and monitor VA medical facility obligation estimates,” wrote Gary Abe, acting assistant general for audits and evaluations.
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