WASHINGTON – The Department
of Veterans Affairs may have to shut down some hospitals next month if Congress does not address a $2.5 billion shortfall
for the current budget year, VA officials warned Monday.The
VA told Congress that it needs to cover shortfalls caused by an increased demand by veterans for health care, including costly
treatments for hepatitis C. The agency also is considering furloughs, hiring freezes and other steps to close a funding gap
for the budget year that ends Sept. 30.
The VA said it wants
authority to use up to $3 billion from the new Veterans Choice program to close the budget gap, with as much as $500 million
going to treat hepatitis C. A single pill for the liver-wasting viral infection can cost up to $1,000.
The Choice program, the centerpiece of a VA overhaul approved last year, makes
it easier for veterans to receive federally paid medical care from local doctors. Congress approved $10 billion over three
years for the Choice program as it responded to a scandal over long waits for veterans seeking medical care and falsified
records to cover up the delays.