Veterans Affairs to hold town hall on health care plans

HARRISBURG, Ill. (AP) - The Department of Veterans Affairs has scheduled a town hall in southern Illinois to discuss the agency's health care system.

Spokesman Kevin Harris says Wednesday's town hall in Harrisburg is designed to solicit feedback from veterans, their families and other beneficiaries of the health care system.

President Donald Trump earlier this month signed a bill into law that will expand private care for veterans as an alternative to the VA health system.

The $51 billion measure builds on legislation passed in 2014 in response to a scandal at the Phoenix VA medical center, where some veterans died while waiting months for appointments.

Harris says over the next year the VA will develop regulations to implement the new law while also developing policies, training staff and awarding contracts to furnish care.

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This story has been corrected to indicate that the Veterans Affairs spokesman's last name is Harris, not Davis.