"The truth is that the VA is a medical home and not everybody that prescribes in the private sector is necessarily that patient's medical home."
"VA doctors are prescribing more opiates than ever and the data suggests adoption of the directive varies widely."
"I think the Chairman's intent was to say that they are not all paid for by their insurance company where we have expanded it greatly in the VA."
"I strongly believe that this Committee needs to hold aggressive oversight hearings into these issues that the department continues to struggle with."
"Are you confident that we have the sufficient focus on Phoenix for this Committee and for the VA to understand what, if anything, went wrong?"
"Even with all of these issues being publicly reported or included in the reports by the IG, this Committee has yet to hold a single oversight hearing on the quality of care veterans are receiving at t..."
"Can you envision, any of you from the VA, that it would be appropriate to prescribe an opiate to somebody who, in their medical records, has an opiate addiction?"
"Because we cannot with certainty believe that it is being executed by those guidelines, which means you cannot stick a different person with the same pen."
"opening statement"
"Just this week, the bipartisan Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education Reauthorization Act was signed into law, a signal from Congress that this program is working well."
"Thank you for being here and thank you for the job that is done at HRSA within HHS."