{"id":30264,"date":"2023-02-01T16:56:40","date_gmt":"2023-02-01T16:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/02\/01\/va-needs-covid-accommodations-extended-before-emergency-status-ends\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T15:12:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:12:45","slug":"va-needs-covid-accommodations-extended-before-emergency-status-ends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/congress\/2023\/02\/01\/va-needs-covid-accommodations-extended-before-emergency-status-ends\/","title":{"rendered":"VA needs COVID accommodations extended before emergency status ends"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lawmakers<\/a> must extend critical pandemic authorities<\/a> for veterans care before formally ending the national health emergency related to COVID-19<\/a> or else risk disrupting medical services for tens of thousands of veterans, federal officials warned this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe explosion of access to medical care that has been a byproduct of the growth in telehealth services is something that has led to a lot of positive outcomes for vets,\u201d VA Secretary Denis McDonough<\/a> told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday. \u201cI want to make sure we don\u2019t lose that. It would be a real shame if we did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later on Tuesday evening, the House voted along party lines to pass the \u201cPandemic is Over Act,\u201d which would immediately end the public health emergency status declared in 2020 by the Department of Health and Human Services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are in a pretty good place in the pandemic,\u201d said Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., during a floor debate on the measure. \u201cCases are down dramatically from where they were the past few winters. It\u2019s long overdue for President [Joe] Biden to unwind the public health emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t