IOWA CITY — U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley sent a letter Tuesday to the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System with questions about allegations of improperly canceled diagnostic exams. “Iowa veterans rightly expect the VA to properly manage crucial medical appointments, especially with follow-ups, lab or imaging tests,” Ernst said in a prepared statement. “I remain concerned about the level of care that our veterans are receiving.”

The letter follows news reports about the Iowa City VA being audited, along with eight other VA hospitals nationwide, to determine whether radiology requests were processed in a timely manner and canceled appropriately. The U.S. senators also asked hospital staff to detail the process the VA used to follow up with veterans to make sure they are receiving proper imaging care.

“While we are glad to see corrective action by the Iowa City VA, this and similar issues over the past few years continue to raise questions regarding the level of care our veterans in Iowa are receiving,” the letter states.