Wichita Standard

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano have urged the Trump Administration to maintain transparency in reporting critical quality-of-care data for veterans. This comes amid concerns that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) might change how this data is collected and shared.

In a letter to VA Secretary Collins, the lawmakers expressed concern about potential changes in submitting quality-of-care data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). They highlighted that this data is crucial for patients making informed decisions regarding their care.

The lawmakers also addressed plans to reduce briefings on Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning (SAIL) data, which they described as essential oversight metrics. "This is wholly unacceptable," they stated, emphasizing the importance of these briefings in monitoring performance trends at VA medical centers.

The Committees' leaders referenced past incidents such as the Phoenix wait-time scandal in 2014 to underline the need for transparency. They noted that Congress had strengthened transparency requirements following these events, citing recent expansions under section 104 of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act.

They concluded by urging VA to uphold its statutory obligation to collect and report quality data systematically. The letter stressed that "transparency in healthcare quality is not an administrative burden—it is a moral imperative."

The full text of the letter outlines specific legal obligations requiring VA to maintain comprehensive quality-assurance programs and public databases detailing patient safety, care quality, and outcomes. The lawmakers emphasized that any changes must be communicated clearly and justified to Congress.