Lawmakers call for hearings on VA pain management

TOMAH, Wis. (AP) - Some Wisconsin and Minnesota lawmakers are calling for congressional hearings after allegations of overmedication at the VA Medical Center in Tomah.

U.S. Reps. Ron Kind of Wisconsin and Tim Walz of Minnesota on Thursday urged the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the pain-management practices of VA medical centers nationwide.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced it is launching an investigation into allegations that the Tomah VA in western Wisconsin has been over-prescribing opiates to veterans and engaging in retaliatory behavior.

Kind, a Democrat whose district includes Tomah, says congressional hearings would be "an important first step" toward identifying problems and finding solutions not just in Tomah, but systemwide.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin also is calling for a Senate hearing on the VA's prescribing practices.