# Decades old problem exacerbates benefits backlog for veterans



## OriginalShroom

And some people want the Government to take over our Healthcare when they can't even handle Veterans?



> ?Decades old problem? exacerbates benefits backlog for veterans ? MSNBC
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> The Department of Veterans Affairs has been scrambling to fix its backlog, which has reached 584,308 claims that have been pending for 125 days or more. About 873,680 veterans have filed claims and that number continues to grow.


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## waltky

Paperwork's always the problem...

*In veterans long wait for benefits, paperwork often the problem*
_June 7, 2013  WASHINGTON  Zach McIlwain has low testosterone levels, post-traumatic stress disorder, limited mobility in his left hand and debilitating migraines that sometimes last for days. The 27-year-old received his injuries during two combat tours in Iraq, and he applied for disability benefits while still overseas._


> That was in 2009. It took almost three years for the Department of Veterans Affairs to approve his benefits.  The VA continued to lose paperwork, and somehow I was at fault for it, McIlwain said.  The VA had more than 770,000 disability compensation claims pending as of June 1, and the department has been in the spotlight for weeks amid its promises to expedite its sluggish decision-making process. The department said that by 2015, all claims should be decided in 125 days or fewer with an error rate of 2 percent, goals its far from realizing.  And if its going to reach those goals, theres a pressing problem to overcome: a tendency to lose or otherwise mishandle veterans records.
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> Over the years, poor record-keeping at both the VA and the Department of Defense has resulted in losses of paperwork and denials to veterans, lengthening the claim response time.  The Government Accountability Office, Congress investigative arm, found in a report last year that the record-gathering process for veterans who go to the VA to seek evidence for claims could take months.  Kerry Baker, a VA appellate practitioner at Chisholm, Chisholm and Kirkpatrick in Providence, R.I., is a Marine veteran whos worked at the VA. He said veterans could derive evidence from three types of logs: personnel records, service medical records that follow a veteran throughout his or her time in service, and unit or ship records.
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> McIlwain went through hundreds of pages of his records to document his dates of treatments and injuries. In 2010, private practitioners he consulted determined that his hand injury was service-connected.  I tried to make sure I reached the threshold, McIlwain said. I dont know what more I could have done.  Millions of files like McIlwains fill warehouses and computer servers. Some claim that individual folders of evidence may be 4 or 5 feet tall, the VA said. McIlwain said it was probably easier for the VA to lose his paperwork than to process it.
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> Staff mistakes as simple as placing mail in the wrong folder can delay claim processing, the GAO said. It also said an inefficient IT system required that several claims folders be logged in multiple databases. The VAs Office of Inspector General reported in May 2011 that the staffs at 10 out of 16 VA regional offices had improperly managed mail, meaning they may not have applied all the evidence necessary for prompt disability ratings.  The VA said it had started initiatives to speed up the process, including new organizational models and electronic processing.  The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to ensure that all veterans are getting their benefits in a timely manner, VA spokesman Steve Westerfeld said. Certainly, any veteran that has not been able to get that because of anything the VA has done  that is unacceptable.
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## waltky

Veterans waiting for benefits assured things will change -- in 2 years...

*Veterans waiting for benefits in Manchester assured things will change*
_June 12. 2013   The day is coming when injured veterans wont have to wait longer than 125 days to find out whether they will receive veteran disability benefits, the Secretary for Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki told reporters Wednesday._


> That will be two years from now, when a new electronic processing system eliminates the current backlog of claims, Shinseki said.  This spring, the VA announced efforts to reduce backlogs, now that the paperless, $428 million Veterans Benefits Management System is in place at all 56 regional offices, including Manchester.  This is a big cross-over year for us, Shinseki said after speaking to VA workers who process benefits in the Norris Cotton federal building in Manchester. We have for decades sat astride rivers of paper. Now we are in the process of turning off paper spigots and turning on electronic ones.  Nationally, the average time it takes to process a claim is 292 days.  That involves entering a claim into the system, determining what records  such as medical examinations and Defense Department service records  are needed for verification, obtaining those records, making a decision and notifying the veteran.
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> Payments are based on the percentage of a veterans disability and the number of people who depend on him or her. A married veteran with a 50 percent disability would receive $888 a month, tax-free, according to the VA website.  Some veterans complain about the long wait, while others think their claims are quickly denied because the bureaucracy is playing catch-up, said Keith Howard, executive director of Liberty House, a shelter for homeless veterans in Manchester.  He said homeless veterans do get fast-tracked, as well as those injured in recent wars, POWs, Medal of Honor recipients and the terminally ill. Others suffer through the slow pace, he said.  Thats one of the things bureaucracies can do. They put so many road bumps in your way that eventually you give up, he said.
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> For example, part of benefit claims involve documenting injuries. Soldiers often self-triage, Howard said, putting themselves at the back of the line for more seriously injured people. Then years later, its difficult to prove your injury, he said.  Youre not thinking at that point, I better document this for future benefits, Howard said.  Shinseki said veteran service organizations such as the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans provide key assistance to veterans when it comes to researching their claims.  He said veterans wait too long to receive their benefits, and neither he nor President Obama find that acceptable.
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> Shinseki attributed the lengthy wait to key decisions three years ago.  Three Vietnam War-related illnesses, including Agent Orange poisoning, were recognized. Nine first Gulf War illnesses were recognized. And benefits were allowed for veterans with verified post-traumatic stress disorder.  PTSD is as old as combat itself, he said. PTSD is also recognized for victims of sexual assault, he said.  Overall, the Manchester office has a good track record of processing a claim. The average wait time for a fully developed New Hampshire claim is 36 days, compared to 82 nationally.  In fact, the Manchester office is helping other VA Benefit offices process claims, Shinseki said.  Its a great indication Manchester is doing well, Shinseki said, theyre carrying an additional load.
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> Veterans waiting for benefits in Manchester assured things will change | New Hampshire NEWS18


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## waltky

Dey gonna whip it back to zero...

*Two senators create working group to whip veterans claims backlog*
_July 11, 2013 WASHINGTON  A pair of U.S. senators is hoping a new bipartisan working group focused on the veterans benefits backlog can speed solutions to the persistent problem._


> Sens. Dean Heller, R-Nev., and Bob Casey, D-Pa., said the new effort will include meetings with veterans advocates, benefits recipients, VA officials and a host of lawmakers, with the goal of creating some new ideas or recommendations by this fall.  Both men expressed frustration at the lengthy wait many veterans face when applying for service-connected benefits. As of this week, nearly 502,000 veterans have been waiting four months or more for their claims to be processed.  Weve been given excuses for years on why this isnt fixed, Heller told reporters Thursday. Some of them are legitimate  But were trying to move the process forward and find answers.
> 
> The working group is the latest attempt to address the problem outside the traditional veterans-themed congressional committees. Earlier this year, members of the Senate Appropriations Committee said theyd closely monitor progress on the topic. Veterans groups have made it their top lobbying priority this year.  VA officials have promised to end the backlog in the next two years, through a series of new computer systems, better processing procedures and additional manpower.  In the last three months, the backlog figure has dropped by more than 100,000 files, which officials say shows their plan is working.
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> But Casey said he worries the department still isnt on pace to solve the problem in 2015, and believes a broader discussion is needed to keep all parties focused on the issue. Earlier this year, Casey and Heller authored a letter signed by 65 other senators urging more action from VA and White House officials on the backlog.  Rich Dumancas, deputy director for benefits at the American Legion, said his group is pleased with the progress so far by the VA, but also welcomes the additional attention.  We see the value in the steps theyve taken already, he said. So well be talking about that, and seeing how we can build from there.
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> In a statement, Disabled American Veterans Executive Director Barry Jesinoski called the working group another Congressional forum to help build support for serious, long-term solutions to ensure that all veterans claims for benefits are decided right the first time.  Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Legislative Director Alex Nicholson said the continued focus is needed because "we have much more work to do on their behalf to bring the VA disability claims backlog to zero.
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> Two senators create ?working group? to whip veterans claims backlog - U.S. - Stripes


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## waltky

Congress gonna make VA work like DOD...

*Congress wants 4-year planning from VA, similar to DOD*
_ July 17, 2013  WASHINGTON  Lawmakers want to create a quadrennial veterans review, modeled after the Defense Departments long-term planning document, in an effort to better project the needs and goals of veterans programs for years to come._


> The idea, pending before the House Veterans Affairs Committee, is one of several pieces of legislation under consideration designed to increase congressional oversight of VA operations, a sign of the increasing attention that veterans programs and benefits have received in recent years.  In the last few months alone, dozens of lawmakers with little VA experience have begun to weigh in on the departments growing budget and continued struggles with the benefits backlog.  A four-year veterans review help establish a national strategy for meeting the nations commitment to veterans by broadly outlining spending and programming needs, according to the draft legislation.
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> Despite criticism over its ties to short-term budget concerns, the Pentagons quadrennial defense review is still regarded as a critical planning document for national security, and an important exercise to keep military planners focused on broad security goals.  VA officials said they already have a similar multi-year planning review under way. Robert Snyder, acting assistant secretary for VA policy and planning, said the departments internal quadrennial strategic planning process should be finalized early next year, in time to help inform the fiscal 2015 budgeting process.  Because of that, Snyder said at a hearing Wednesday that VA officials dont support duplicating that work with an official QVR.
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> But lawmakers on the committee said the more formal, congressionally mandated report will better inform Congress and ensure that those long-term concepts arent lost from year to year.  Administrations change, said committee ranking member Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine. My big concern is that I want this to be consistent.
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> Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., noted that dozens of other government agencies and thousands of outside groups are also involved in delivering care to veterans, which illustrates the need for larger coordination of efforts.  Veterans groups said they support the idea of better planning for the department, but said theyre unsure if a defense-style quadrennial review is appropriate for VA programs.  The bill would also mandate an annual five-year budgeting plan for VA operations, similar to Defense Department yearly budgets.
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> Congress wants 4-year planning from VA, similar to DOD - News - Stripes


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## waltky

The squeeky wheel gets the grease...

*Shinseki: Bold backlog goal drew fire, also dollars*
_July 18, 2013 > In setting an ambitious goal three years ago to end the Department of Veterans Affairs disability claims backlog in 2015, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki exposed himself to criticism, including calls to resign as the backlog rose._


> But that bold goal, Shinseki said, also helped VA get the funding it needed to modernize operations, including to phase out an inefficient, paper-driven claim processing system.  If I had written a plan that said were going to end the backlog in 2025, I wouldnt have gotten any resources, Shinseki said in an interview while he visited the VA regional claims processing office in Newark, N.J.  With extra billions of dollars appropriated for claims processing and other transformative initiatives, VAs backlog finally is falling. It stood last week at 536,400, down from 608,000 in March.  Shinseki said he remains confident it will be gone in 2015.  He sounds a little less confident of ending homelessness among veterans by that year, another determined goal.  Regardless, the retired four-star general and former Army chief of staff doesnt regret setting bold objectives.  Ive been writing plans all my life.  I never wrote a tentative plan.  Thats not what you expect from a guy you want to solve a problem.
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> A VA claim is in backlog if not decided within 125 days.  When Shinseki became secretary, early in 2009, VA tracked claim performance with a different yardstick: average time to decision.  The average then was 191 days, Shinseki said.  The average sought was 125 days.  So if I completed a claim in one day, and another claim in 249 days, thats a 125-day average, and that would have ended the backlog, Shinseki said.  It just seemed to me a bad way to define the problem or try to solve it.  So we said: No claims over 125 days.  As newly defined, the backlog was 180,000 by September 2009.  Over the next three years it more than tripled, passing 600,000, even as VA hired thousands more claim processors.  VA was deciding a million claims a year, yet the backlog grew with as many as 1.3 million claims pouring in.  Only part of the flood of claims is from veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.  As Shinseki explains to Congress and to his own claims staff, it was his decisions to aid more veterans, including from the generation he went to war with in Vietnam, that helped to create the backlog.
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> Under Shinseki, VA simplified the process for filing post-traumatic stress disorder claims from veterans of all wars.  He made compensable more illnesses for 1990-91 Gulf War veterans exposed to toxins and other health threats in that campaign.  He also added ischemic heart disease, Parkinsons disease and B-cell leukemia to the list of ailments for which Vietnam veterans can receive disability compensation, on presumption wartime exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange caused these conditions.  This last decision alone resulted in 280,000 retroactive claims.  As of last month, 166,000 veterans with at least one of these illnesses, or surviving spouses, received more than $4.5 billion in VA pay.  Thousands of additional Agent Orange claims are being filed monthly.  Shinseki stands by his Agent Orange decisions, citing scientific studies.  But for two years, VA had to reassign 2300 of its most experienced claim processors  a third of the staff  to review old claims that qualified for special handling under a 1985 Nehmer court ruling.
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> Shinseki said he could be faulted for not better understanding requirements that Nehmer imposed so VA was better prepared for the extra workload.  They had to go through every page of every claim.  It wasnt enough to say, Vietnam, exposure to Agent Orange and therefore Parkinsons disease [so] grant service connection. The Nehmerdecision required them to see if there was anything else in the filepage by page by page.  And, by the way, Nehmer goes to the head of the line.  Everything else waitsI should have asked more questions.  Shinseki promised in 2010 not only to end the backlog in 2015 but also to raise the decision accuracy rate to 98 percent, up from the low 80s.  These goals, Shinseki guessed while visiting the claims staff in Newark last month, must have made a few of them suck wind through your teeth.  That was also the reaction by some at headquarters, he told me.  Somebody said, Is he crazy?  No, no, no, I said. Im just asking: Is this a good goal?  If it is, then we will go figure out how to get there. 
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## waltky

New tack on reducing the claims backlog...

*VA offering retro benefits to encourage use of 'developed' claims*
_August 2, 2013   WASHINGTON  The Department of Veterans Affairs is rolling out cash incentives potentially worth tens of thousands of dollars to persuade veterans to use their new Fully Developed Claims process, in an effort to fight the claims backlog._


> Starting next week, any veteran who submits a new disability claim through the FDC process will be eligible for a years worth of retroactive benefits, once their case is completed.  Typically, the clock on veterans benefits starts the day a claim is filed. Once raters have reviewed and approved the claim  a process that has taken a year or more for many veterans in recent years  they receive a check covering their payouts starting from the filing day.  But last year, Congress approved new legislation allowing VA officials to award one-year retroactive benefits from the filing date, as an incentive for veterans to use the FDC process.
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> Fully Developed Claims, touted by department officials as the fastest way for veterans to receive a decision, require veterans to provide all relevant documentation, such as medical records and personnel records, before handing their case to the VA for review.  They are usually done with the help of a veterans service organization. VA officials say compiling those documents is the lengthiest part of the ratings process, and that FDCs average well below the departments goal of 125 days to finish cases.
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> The department has taken harsh criticism throughout 2013 for its disability claims backlog. As of last week, more than 500,000 cases were pending for over four months.  Thats down more than 100,000 cases since March, but still more than double what the backlogged case load was three years ago.  The new FDC incentive only applies to first-time claims from veterans, and not any supplemental cases or appeals. VA officials said the incentive will be available for any FDCs filed starting Aug. 6, 2013, and lasting through Aug. 6, 2015.
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> More information on the FDCs is available at the departments electronic benefits website, www.ebenefits.va.gov.
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> VA offering retro benefits to encourage use of 'developed' claims - News - Stripes


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## bucs90

Do Right wingers still want them to get these benefits?

We are broke, right? And they are government employees, right?

Afterall, right wingers sneered at Detroit govt workers not getting their benefits.


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## waltky

Obama got some `splainin' to do...

*Obama: Progress made on disability claims backlog*
_10 Aug.`13   President Barack Obama assured disabled veterans Saturday that his administration is making progress on reducing a backlog of disability claims and said the number of requests for assistance has fallen by nearly one-fifth since peaking at more than 600,000 just a few months ago._


> In an address at the Disabled American Veterans' convention in Orlando, Obama also announced a national plan to guide mental health research, as well as commitments from 250 community colleges and universities to help veterans earn college degrees or get the credentials they need to find jobs.  A chief concern for veterans is the backlog of disability claims for compensation for illness and injury caused by military service.  "After years of military service, you shouldn't have to wait years for the benefits you've earned," Obama said.  The number of claims ballooned after Obama made it easier for Vietnam veterans who were exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange to get benefits. Access to benefits also was eased for sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder and Gulf War veterans afflicted with malaria, West Nile virus or other infectious diseases.
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> The backlog is shrinking due to some aggressive steps taken by the Department of Veterans Affairs, including requiring claims processors in its 56 regional benefits offices to work overtime and moving from a manual to a computerized system to help speed the judgment of claims, administration officials said.  About 780,000 claims are pending. About 496,000 are considered backlogged after the 20 percent reduction Obama highlighted, down from 611,000 at the end of March, said White House press secretary Jay Carney. A claim is considered backlogged if it has been in the system for 125 days, or roughly four months.
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> Even with that progress, Obama acknowledged the amount of work still needed to eliminate the backup by 2015 as VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has promised.  "Today I can report that we are not where we need to be, but we are making progress," Obama said. "So after years when the backlog kept growing, finally the backlog is shrinking."  The president also announced the release of a comprehensive national plan to improve the ability to prevent, diagnose and treat PTSD and traumatic brain injuries and mental health issues earlier and better, and to reduce suicides, according to a briefing paper the White House released Saturday before the president spoke.  Beyond the claims issue, Republican lawmakers have started to hammer the VA on the issue of patient safety.
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> A congressional hearing in Atlanta this past week focused on poor patient care linked to four deaths. Another hearing is scheduled for next month in Pittsburgh, where five veterans died as a result of a Legionnaire's disease outbreak in 2011-12.  Several dozen protesters greeted Obama as he arrived at the hotel. Some held signs that said "Kenyan Go Home," ''Impeach Obama," and "Obama Lies."  Obama met privately with DAV members before the speech, the White House said. Afterward, he headed to Martha's Vineyard, Mass., for a family vacation.
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> Obama: Progress made on disability claims backlog



See also:

*Despite improvements at VA, problems remain*
_August 10, 2013  WASHINGTON  When President Barack Obama spoke Saturday at the Disabled American Veterans national convention in Orlando, he touted recent improvements his administration has made in addressing the long waits veterans face in seeking benefits for their service-related injuries._


> As recently as March, more than 611,000 veterans and their families had waited longer than 125 days to hear whether the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs would approve their claims. The backlog has since dropped to about 500,000, thanks to a new effort to give overtime to VA workers.  But that improvement also has led to fears that the focus on these applicants comes at the expense of others  particularly veterans who have been denied the benefits they want and are appealing the VA's decision.  "The VA has a whack-a-mole problem," said Matthew Hill, an attorney who represents veterans seeking disability compensation.
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> Whenever the VA throws its budget of $138.5 billion at one problem, he said, another gets worse. And this time it's hurting those trying to appeal denials by the VA, a process that can drag on for years.  Emblematic of the problem is the VA's regional office in St. Petersburg, which serves Florida. Claims are processed in the order they are received and as of last month, officials there were working appeals dating back to 2010. More than 21,000 cases are pending there.  Among those waiting is Eddie Cruz, a U.S. Navy veteran from Orlando who served from 1978 to 1980.
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> While onboard the USS Nassau, Cruz said he fell down a flight of stairs during an early-morning drill and hurt his head badly. Months of hospitalization followed, and Cruz said drugs given to him afterward eventually caused a condition known as "tardive dyskinesia," an affliction that can lead to involuntary tics.  "I have so much difficulty picking up things, going into the shower and doing basic everyday functions," said Cruz, 53, who said the condition prevents him from working.  Though it was not initially apparent, Cruz said the condition gradually has worsened, and in 2009 he filed a claim to augment the VA benefits he already received. But he was denied in 2010, and he's been appealing ever since.  "You never think it's a lifetime injury," he said.
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> Backlogs across the VA have come under intense scrutiny lately. In the spring, Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" ran a segment dubbed "The Red Tape Diaries" that lampoons the VA for its inefficiencies  and its towering piles of paper files.  Federal watchdogs have noticed as well.   "Regional office managers did not assign enough staff to process appeals, diverted staff from appeals processing, and did not ensure appeals staff acted on appeals promptly because [initial] compensation claims processing was their highest priority," said a 2012 report by the VA's inspector general.  The report estimated that the nationwide inventory of appeals had jumped from about 160,000 in 2008 to roughly 246,000 in 2011.
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## waltky

VA startin' to make progress against claims backlog...

*VA critics vow to keep up pressure as claims backlog falls*
_ August 19, 2013  WASHINGTON  Critics of the Department of Veterans Affairs will culminate a four-month petition drive Tuesday by demanding the president take immediate action to end the million-veteran disability claims backlog._


> The problem? The backlog is already under 500,000 cases, and has been falling fast since the drive began.  Supporters of the VA have dismissed the petition, organized by the conservative Concerned Veterans for America, as little more than a political stunt. But organizers insist their concerns about the still massive benefits backlog are still relevant, and the VAs recent progress is no guarantee of future success.  There is still a lot of question about how they reduced those numbers, said Pete Hegseth, CEO of the group. And the problem is clearly not gone, so we have to keep focus on it.  The backlog  the number of claims that have taken more than 125 days to process  never totaled 1 million veterans. It peaked this year, in March, at around 608,000 cases.
> 
> But thats four times more than in late 2009  just a few months after Obama administration officials first vowed to end the problem  when the figure hovered around 150,000.  VA officials have blamed the steady growth of the backlog on dramatic increases in the claims filed by veterans, a decision to open tens of thousands of new cases for illnesses related to Agent Orange exposure, and antiquated paper-processing systems that have taken years to update.  For months, the department has been hammered by advocates, lawmakers and veterans for the problem. CVA and others have called for VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign, dismissing the explanations for the increase.
> 
> But the department reports it has made significant progress since that March peak, dropping the backlog to about 489,000  almost 20 percent  as of last week. In June, raters finished all claims pending for more than two years, and officials insist theyre on pace to eliminate the backlog in 2015.  Were turning the tide, President Barack Obama told the Disabled American Veterans convention earlier this month. And were not going to let up until we eliminate the backlog once and for all.  The recent progress is in part a result of the departments new Veterans Benefits Management System  a paperless ratings software  and increased use of the Fully Developed Claims process, which ensures veterans have all relevant paperwork ready before starting their case.
> 
> But Hegseth notes that the department also hired new raters, instituted mandatory overtime this spring, and started issuing partial decisions on more complex cases to help pull down the numbers. He questions whether those changes are sustainable, systemic improvements, or whether the moves will provide only temporary relief.  VA officials would not directly respond to CVAs comments, but in a statement said they are confident in the plans.  The claims backlog is a decades-old problem, and fixing the outdated and paper-intensive claims system is an extraordinarily complex task, the VA said. While we have much more work to do, we are making progress, and we expect that progress to continue.  If VA raters can keep up the processing pace of the last five months, the backlog would hit zero by early summer 2015.
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## NightFox

bucs90 said:


> Do Right wingers still want them to get these benefits?
> 
> We are broke, right? And they are government employees, right?
> 
> Afterall, right wingers sneered at Detroit govt workers not getting their benefits.



Straw meet man. 

Detroit Government workers and their exorbitant "benefits" are Detroit's problem, the fact that our Military Veterans are getting screwed over is every Americans problem. This shouldn't be a left-right or democrat-republican issue (lord knows the partisan pom-pom waivers have enough of those to get into pissing contests over already), This should be something that *everybody* can agree on and at least start writing their congress critters about.


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## RoadVirus

OriginalShroom said:


> And some people want the Government to take over our Healthcare when they can't even handle Veterans?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ?Decades old problem? exacerbates benefits backlog for veterans ? MSNBC
> 
> 
> The Department of Veterans Affairs has been scrambling to fix its backlog, which has reached 584,308 claims that have been pending for 125 days or more. About 873,680 veterans have filed claims and that number continues to grow.
Click to expand...


Words to dread: "I'm from the government and i'm here to help"


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## waltky

Veteran's ask that Shinseki be fired...

*Veterans group wants VA secretary fired*
_August 21st, 2013 > A veterans group says it has accumulated 29,000 signatures demanding that Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki be fired over persistent delays in processing disability claims._


> Concerned Veterans of America sent a petition to President Barack Obama this week maintaining that Veterans Affairs disability claims have increased nearly 2,000 % since he took office in 2009.  Shinseki has been the only veterans affairs secretary under Obama.  In response, the Veterans Affairs Department acknowledged that too many veterans have to wait too long for benefits.  Thats unacceptable, and we are implementing a robust plan to fix the problem, a statement said.
> 
> Claims that have been pending for more than 125 days are said to be backlogged, according to the agencys web site. There were more than 516,000 pending claims that fit the definition at the end of June, VA figures show. That was more than two thirds of all pending claims at the time.  One reason for the backlog, according to the agency, is that more veterans are seeking claims, including those from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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> Oh, I'm so embarr-assed
> 
> Under Shinseki, the VA recognizes for the first time conditions related to Agent Orange exposure, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Gulf War illness, which has led to a nearly a million new claims, it said.  There is also the growing number of claims from World War II, Korea and Vietnam vets who hadnt applied for medical help until recently.
> 
> These reasons have not eased concerns of the veterans group.  Military commanders given a mission and necessary resourcesare not allowed to fail for four years and keep their job. Nor should Secretary Shinseki. His time is up. Its time for new leadership, its petition read.  The VA said it is making progress in reducing the backlog, saying it has gone down by nearly 20 % in the past five months. Once it fully digitizes its system, the VA expects that figure to fall further.
> 
> Veterans? group wants VA secretary fired ? CNN Security Clearance - CNN.com Blogs


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## waltky

Investigation into VA manager bonuses...

*Lawmakers to hold hearing on bonuses for VA managers*
_ September 5, 2013  WASHINGTON  Lawmakers will hold a field hearing in Pittsburgh next week to ask why local Veterans Affairs administrators received hefty bonuses in the wake of the preventable deaths of five patients._


> But what they really want to know is whether there is any accountability within the VA bureaucracy.  The rare outside-the-beltway hearing follows a series of reports condemning how the department has handled merit pay and benefit assistance oversight. It also comes after months of pressure from veterans groups and members of Congress for the VA to take tougher action against poorly performing employees.  The criticism that VA employees are rarely held accountable for failings cuts across numerous problems faced by the department in recent years, including the shrinking but still massive disability backlog.
> 
> Last week, Republicans on the House Veterans Affairs Committee launched a website to call out midlevel administrators by name for receiving sizable bonuses despite significant questions about their effectiveness.  They include a VA construction chief who received $55,000 in extra pay despite numerous delays and cost overruns with major projects; a disability benefits executive who got $60,000 in bonuses despite the mounting claims backlog; and a St. Louis facility director who received $25,000 in award pay despite persistent patient-safety issues including HIV exposure of several patients.
> 
> Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said the goal is to expose VAs long and well-documented history of rewarding failure and force a culture change within the organization.  VA executives who fail in their jobs shouldnt receive bonuses or glowing performance reviews, he said. They should be disciplined or fired.  In a statement, VA officials said that some performance awards  including individuals in the health administration medical networks  have been suspended pending further review.  "All employees are expected to help VA achieve its mission of providing veterans the highest quality care possible, the statement said. When an incident occurs, VHA leadership conducts a prompt review to understand what happened, hold those responsible accountable and prevent similar incidents in the future.  If employee misconduct or failure to meet performance standards is found to have been a factor, VA will take appropriate corrective action immediately.
> 
> Top officials at AMVETS and Concerned Veterans of America this week penned an editorial charging that underperforming VA workers face no serious consequences for failure.  Welcome to the twisted world of federal executive branch employment, where its nearly impossible to be fired for poor performance, the piece said.   Department officials have insisted the vast majority of VA employees are hard-working and dedicated individuals who have veterans best interests at heart. Thus far, they havent responded to committee requests to justify the bonuses.  In August, the Government Accountability Office portrayed the VAs merit pay systems as dysfunctional, with no real connection between work accomplished and bonuses awarded. The review results  requested by congressional Democrats  dismayed lawmakers.  It is clear to me that too often those who do not perform above and beyond are reaping rewards they do not deserve, said veterans committee ranking member Mike Michaud, D-Maine.
> 
> MORE


----------



## waltky

Newest wounded veterans struggling but resilient...

*Survey: Newest wounded veterans struggling but resilient*
_September 10, 2013  WASHINGTON  Three in four troops wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress and even more struggle with depression, according to a new survey released Tuesday by the Wounded Warrior Project._


> The report  the most comprehensive look to date at the next generation of disabled veterans  chronicles the struggles facing that population but also several positive signs of their ability to adapt.  More than 85 percent of individuals surveyed said they had friends or family they could rely on to help with their challenges, and more than half said they believe they have the strength to overcome their injuries.  The annual survey polled nearly 12,000 group alumni injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, representing about one-quarter of the total wounded troops from those wars. The results give a snapshot of wounded troops struggling with mental health issues, readjustment to civilian society, and serious concerns about their long-term quality of life.
> 
> Jen Silva, executive vice president of economic empowerment at the Wounded Warrior Project, the large number of respondents also shows that these wounded veterans feel the need to tell their story.  After injury-related health issues  83 percent of those surveyed said their injuries contributed to gaining too much weight, and 80 percent said they had trouble sleeping  the biggest concern for most wounded veterans was finances.  Fewer than one-fourth of the injured alumni have a bachelors degree or higher; another third are attending college. Two in five said their financial situation was worse than a year ago.  Only about half of those who have found full-time work are happy in their careers, and 30 percent reported that lingering mental health issues are hurting their chances at getting a good job.
> 
> But a third of wounded troops surveyed reported difficulty getting mental health care, either because of obstacles with the military and Department of Veterans Affairs or because of concerns related to the stigma of seeking help.  About one-fifth of the wounded veterans reported abusing alcohol in the prior month.  WWP officials said the survey results show a need for more mental health resources for wounded veterans, as well as more job placement and emotional support programs.  Silva said the results also show the need for a holistic approach to approaching veterans struggles.
> 
> Depression and anxiety can be mitigated with exercise, she noted, but often social activity becomes a burden because of those underlying mental health issues. So advocates need to approach issues like weight gain and depression together, rather than with separate programs.  Study authors also noted that the general themes of the report tracked with past years surveys showing both the patience of injured veterans in facing lifes difficulties but the persistent challenges they face.
> 
> Survey: Newest wounded veterans struggling but resilient - News - Stripes



See also:

*VA officials defend health care, integrity of bonus system*
_September 9, 2013   WASHINGTON  Before a crowd of grieving family members in Pittsburgh, Veterans Affairs officials defended their patient safety and executive bonus programs Monday, dismissing assertions that the department doesnt hold poor managers accountable for failure._


> VA has a long-established record of providing safe health care, said Robert Petzel, under secretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The patient care issues the Committee has raised are serious, but not systemic.  However, lawmakers and family of injured veterans at the outside-the-beltway hearing questioned whether that is true.  Mondays hearing included a detailed look at preventable deaths at six different VA health care facilities, including at least five deaths from Legionnaires disease at the VA Pittsburgh Health Care system.
> 
> Witnesses tearfully recounted family members deaths due unsanitary practices, surgical mistakes and poor supervision of VA employees.  They also bristled at reports that numerous executives from those facilities later received bonuses  some totaling tens of thousands of dollars  for meeting performance metrics.  Members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and a recent Government Accountability Office report have labeled the bonus system as broken, and lawmakers are pushing to ban all VA executive bonuses for five years.
> 
> Petzel called the patient deaths tragic and upsetting, and said department officials are conducting appropriate administrative and criminal investigations.  But he also insisted that the cases are all isolated incidents reflective of a massive health care system, not a incompetent or uncaring bureaucracy.  While no health care system can be made entirely free from inherent risks, when adverse incidents do occur, VA studies them to fully understand what has happened, he said.
> 
> Petzel said substantial disciplinary actions have already taken place in Pittsburgh, Atlanta and several other regional VA systems. The department is also reviewing its bonus award procedures.  Lawmakers said they expect more.  We will simply not tolerate substandard care for our veterans under any circumstance, said committee chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla. When we hear about it, we will investigate it.
> 
> http://www.stripes.com/news/va-officials-defend-health-care-integrity-of-bonus-system-1.240079


----------



## Claudette

OriginalShroom said:


> And some people want the Government to take over our Healthcare when they can't even handle Veterans?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ?Decades old problem? exacerbates benefits backlog for veterans ? MSNBC
> 
> 
> The Department of Veterans Affairs has been scrambling to fix its backlog, which has reached 584,308 claims that have been pending for 125 days or more. About 873,680 veterans have filed claims and that number continues to grow.
Click to expand...


A backlog huh?? 

One has to wonder why any sane person would want our Govt involved in HC. They do such a marvelous job with our vets. 

Wonder how many backlogs we'll see when the ACA takes effect??


----------



## editec

> And some people want the Government to take over our Healthcare when they can't even handle Veterans?



I have VA health care, lad.

It's great.

Far better HC service than I ever got in the private sector.

Perhaps you just don't know what the fuck you're talking about?


----------



## Claudette

Aparantly your not backlogged. 

I doubt those that are will agree with you.


----------



## waltky

Well, of course dey did - `cause nobody inna gov't. was workin' atta VA...

*VA claims backlog fell during shutdown, despite warnings*
_October 21, 2013  WASHINGTON  The veterans claims backlog continued to drop this month despite the two-week government shutdown and dire claims from Veterans Affairs leaders that momentum on the problem had been lost._


> VA officials reported Monday that 411,704 compensation claims have been pending for more than 125 days, the 15th consecutive week the official backlog number has decreased. The figure is down about 10,000 cases since Sept. 28.  But the decrease appears to contradict VA claims that the government shutdown would hurt efforts to clear the backlog, by depriving the department of funds for mandatory overtime to work on the problem.  On Oct. 1  the first day of the budget impasse  VA assistant secretary of Public Affairs Tommy Sowers predicted an increase in the number of overdue claims because of the shutdown.
> 
> A week later, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki told members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee that the momentum achieved in the past six months (on the backlog) has now stalled with the government shutdown. He also indicated that the departments stated goal of zeroing out the backlog in 2015 could be jeopardized by the shutdown.  In an email, VA officials acknowledged that the backlog did not increase during the shutdown but insisted that it did remain flat during the days department funding was restricted. That ignores a Oct. 14 report putting the backlog about 6,000 cases lower than where Shinseki had indicated just a few days earlier.
> 
> The department attributes the 10,000-case drop from Sept. 28 to Oct. 19 to the five non-shutdown days included in that reporting period, and the hard work of our Veterans Benefit Administration employees despite the distraction.  Republicans in Congress have accused the White House of exaggerating the effects of the shutdown and creating unnecessary hardships to make the budget fight more painful. That included decisions to close national parks and furlough thousands of government employees.
> 
> VA programs were somewhat insulated from the shutdown, because of millions in advance funding appropriated to the department. That kept veterans hospitals and care centers open and most department employees on the job, but did affect non-essential programs such as the overtime claims work.  Since March, veterans claims processors have trimmed the backlog total by an average of 31,000 a month. It is unclear whether the slower progress over the last three weeks will prevent similar progress by the end of the month.
> 
> MORE


----------



## waltky

Granny says, "Dat's right - Obama tol' `em to get onna stick an' get `er done...

*Shinseki says claims backlog is heading in the right direction*
_December 29, 2013 ~ For the first time since Barack Obama was elected president, the veterans claims backlog will end this year lower than it began._


> Department of Veterans Affairs officials say theyre on track to end the backlog entirely sometime in 2015.  At the start of December, the claims backlog  the number of cases unfinished for more than 125 days  sat just under 393,000 cases. Critics call that an embarrassingly large number, especially considering that the White House pledged to fix the problem almost four years ago.
> 
> But VA officials say eliminating the backlog was always expected to be a multiyear process, with the bulk of the progress coming this year. In March, the backlog total peaked at more than 608,000 cases. More than one-third of that caseload was gone by the end of the fall.  VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has credited new computer processing systems, mandatory overtime for claims processors and new filing options for this years decrease.
> 
> The department also benefited from a slowdown in the number of new claims filed this year, allowing more resources to clear older ones. Fiscal 2013 was the first time in five years that the department processed more cases than it received.  In November, Shinseki told reporters that this trend line is in the right direction but Im not dusting my hands off and saying this is a done deal.
> 
> More than half of the departments claims inventory is still in backlog, underscoring the work still to be done.  Based on the nine-month trend, the department could clear out the backlog in early 2015. Last spring, many veterans groups and lawmakers were questioning whether the end of 2015 was a realistic goal.  The departments current backlog efforts dont include the growing number of claim decision appeals, which has topped 266,000 cases. Shinseki has promised that will be the next focus for department officials.
> 
> Shinseki says claims backlog is heading in ?the right direction? - News - Stripes


----------



## Jarlaxle

Claudette said:


> Aparantly your not backlogged.
> 
> I doubt those that are will agree with you.



Ignorance is a *well-known* state of mind for eddie!


----------



## g5000

When I was going through outprocessing training which was intended to teach us retiring vets how to assimilate into civilian life, the disability reps taught the class how to file for disability even if your "disability" was nothing more than deteriorating vision and hearing as the result of the normal aging process and not the result of any hazardous duty.

Most everyone in my class took advantage.  I did not as I was absolutely disgusted with this tactic.  I was stunned they were actually _coaching_ people to do this.

I am not surprised in the least there is a huge disability application backlog.


----------



## Star

waltky said:


> Paperwork's always the problem...
> 
> *In veterans long wait for benefits, paperwork often the problem*
> _June 7, 2013 WASHINGTON _
> 
> MORE


[/QUOTE]


Paperwork?

Electronic Medical Records, plus lots-o-overtime pay for VBA employees equals recent improvements.

My question is, will the tax-cutting Republicans vote to fund the improvements the VA has already accomplished on Shinseki's watch as well as future improvements or-----or will the tax-cutting Republicans make our wounded GI's suffer even more than they already have because of their psychotic need to accomplish nothing due to their delusional hatred for President Obama? 


*News Releases - Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs*

VA Progress on Claims Backlog Highlighted during Congressional Testimony

December 11, 2013

<snip>



She [Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Benefits, Allison A. Hickey] also noted that if full funding is received, mandatory overtime for VBA claims processors, which helped bring down the backlog this year, will continue for much of 2014. Key accomplishments highlighted in the testimony included:

Decreasing the pending inventory of claims by 22 percent;
Decreasing the number of claims in the backlog (those pending over 125 days) by 36 percent;
Increasing claim-level accuracy from approximately 83 percent in 2011 to 90 percent today;
Increasing medical issue-level accuracy to approximately 97 percent today;
Completed processing of 99.9 percent of all claims that were pending over two years;
Completed processing of 97 percent of all claims that were pending over one year through the end of October;
Converting over 360 million images of paper claims documents into a digital format for electronic processing; and
Establishing over 3.2 million Veteran, Servicemember and family member accounts in _eBenefits_, the joint Defense Department/VA web portal for accessing and tracking VA benefits.
Also, VAs web-based, paperless electronic claims processing solution, the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS), was successfully deployed to all 56 of VAs regional benefits offices across the country, six months ahead of schedule. VBMS has also been fielded to the Appeals Management Center, the Records Management Center, the Board of Veterans Appeals, VAs National Call Center, and all VA Medical Centers. Currently, about 75 percent of the VBAs claims inventory is in digital form for electronic processing in VBMS  a percentage that is growing daily. In December, VBMS will continue to add new features and capability.


<snip> 

*4. The IRS is going to be "in charge" of "a huge national database" on health care that will include Americans "personal, intimate, **most close-to-the-vest-secrets**" Pants on Fire.*
.


----------



## Seawytch

g5000 said:


> When I was going through outprocessing training which was intended to teach us retiring vets how to assimilate into civilian life, the disability reps taught the class how to file for disability even if your "disability" was nothing more than deteriorating vision and hearing as the result of the normal aging process and not the result of any hazardous duty.
> 
> Most everyone in my class took advantage.  I did not as I was absolutely disgusted with this tactic.  I was stunned they were actually _coaching_ people to do this.
> 
> I am not surprised in the least there is a huge disability application backlog.



Yup...I remember that in my "deprogramming" class too. We were all encouraged to file disability claims for the smallest complaint...because that income isn't taxable.


----------



## Seawytch

Claudette said:


> OriginalShroom said:
> 
> 
> 
> And some people want the Government to take over our Healthcare when they can't even handle Veterans?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ?Decades old problem? exacerbates benefits backlog for veterans ? MSNBC
> 
> 
> The Department of Veterans Affairs has been scrambling to fix its backlog, which has reached 584,308 claims that have been pending for 125 days or more. About 873,680 veterans have filed claims and that number continues to grow.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> A backlog huh??
> 
> One has to wonder why any sane person would want our Govt involved in HC. They do such a marvelous job with our vets.
> 
> Wonder how many backlogs we'll see when the ACA takes effect??
Click to expand...


Because sane people know that patient satisfaction at VA hospitals outstrips private ones year after year. 

VA Care Is Rated Superior to That in Private Hospitals

Know what other healthcare program is consistently rated high? Yup, that other "gubmit run" program...Medicare.


----------



## Edgetho

Seawytch said:


> Claudette said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> OriginalShroom said:
> 
> 
> 
> And some people want the Government to take over our Healthcare when they can't even handle Veterans?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A backlog huh??
> 
> One has to wonder why any sane person would want our Govt involved in HC. They do such a marvelous job with our vets.
> 
> Wonder how many backlogs we'll see when the ACA takes effect??
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Because sane people know that patient satisfaction at VA hospitals outstrips private ones year after year.
> 
> VA Care Is Rated Superior to That in Private Hospitals
> 
> Know what other healthcare program is consistently rated high? Yup, that other "gubmit run" program...Medicare.
Click to expand...


I've been a veteran for Forty-Three years and let me tell you something.....

The VA just simply SUCKED before GW Bush.  And I mean, SUCKED beyond belief.

It wasn't until GW became President of the United States that the VA started to come around.

How federal spending has climbed since 2001 - USATODAY.com



> Spending on veterans has increased faster under President Bush than at any time since the Vietnam War



In 2001, Clinton's last budget, the VA got $48 Billion.

In 2009, Bush's last budget, the VA got more than $99 Billion.

Bush more than doubled VA spending......  And on fewer Veterans.

2010 Census

the rapist's budgets for the VA went from $35 Billion to $48 Billion.

In constant 2011 dollars, hardly any increase at all.  10% tops.

As to why Vets think the VA is so good?

It's fucking free!!!

And about half of them are free-loaders.

I was stuck with the VA.  I had no choice.

If you read your Health Insurance Policies, the vast Majority of them will have an exclusion that reads (paraphrased), "Any procedure, device, treatment or medicines for which any government body is responsible."

And since my condition was due to my Service to my Country, that would make my 'Country' responsible for my treatments, medicines, procedures, etc.  And any sequalae.

So I had no choice but the use the VA.  Unless I wanted to commit Insurance fraud.

The VA?  It ain't all that, people.

I gotta drive 150 Miles, one way, to see my eye specialist.

Try doing that with your eyes dilated.  So I gotta hitch a ride with the local VA Clinic's 'Shuttle'.

Which means I gotta get up at 4:30AM, shit, shower and shave and drive the 12 Miles to THAT fucking Clinic by 6:00AM then ride in a fucking shuttle for 3 hours to Miami, where I have to wait to be seen for two hours because there's so many fucking free-loaders, so they can tell me, "See you in 6 Months."

I usually get home around 4:00PM.  If I'm lucky.  Sometimes there will be another guy (or two, or three) with us and he has a more serious problem that will take them all day.  In which case, I get home around 7:00PM that night.  Once, I didn't get home until around eight o'clock.

The VA SUCKS!!!

I will take Private Doctors ANY DAY OF THE WEEK.

Every time.

As usual, dimocraps have no fucking clue


----------



## Seawytch

And, of course, Edgo thinks he speaks for everyone. Here in San Francisco we have one of the best VA hospitals in the world. Top notch, world class. Same goes for the one in Palo Alto. Fabulous facility with cutting edge technology. 

Facts are facts...year after year both the VA and Medicare top the charts in customer satisfaction...so tell us the story again about how awful "gubmit run" healthcare is? 

How about government run healthcare where private insurance companies can still sell you Cadillac supplements? Can we try?


----------



## Edgetho

Seawytch said:


> And, of course, Edgo thinks he speaks for everyone. Here in San Francisco we have one of the best VA hospitals in the world. Top notch, world class. Same goes for the one in Palo Alto. Fabulous facility with cutting edge technology.
> 
> Facts are facts...year after year both the VA and Medicare top the charts in customer satisfaction...so tell us the story again about how awful "gubmit run" healthcare is?
> 
> How about government run healthcare where private insurance companies can still sell you Cadillac supplements? Can we try?



Bitch, I use the VA.  Do you?

Not everyone has the the Sang Frang VA.  The VA Hospital in Miami was forced to close all it's operating rooms due to Staph Infections and AIDS.

It's a fucking dump.  The one in Bay Pines (Tampa) isn't a lot better.

As to the Doctors?  In Miami, they use the Ophthamologists from Bascomb Palmer -- The best on the Planet.

But the facilities themselves SUCK.  

And, as is typical of government, very inefficient.  Why do I have travel 300 fucking Miles for an eye appointment when we have some of the best ophthalmologists in the Country right here in Fort Myers?  Many of whom GRADUATED from Bascomb Palmer!!

I'll tell you why.  It's because the Fort Myers Clinic, which is brand new, doesn't have an Ophthalmology Surgeon on staff.  And the Million dollars of equipment.  It's cheaper to 'centralize' eye ophthalmology in Miami.  Which, the Miami VA serves half the Country for complicated Eye problems.  They might send you from Texas to Miami if the problem is complicated enough.

It isn't that the Doctors and the care isn't any good, it's okay, it's that they way they do it is fucking STUPID.

Cataract Surgery?  I had two of them.

Each time, I had to go to Miami (300 miles round trip), get a Motel Room (The VA paid for it), report for surgery the next day, have it done, go back to the Motel Room, try to sleep, wake up in the morning and report back to the VA so they can look at it again.

And I had to take my Wife, who had to miss work for two days, so I could get back home.

In the fucking real world, you go in for the surgery and 20 minutes later you're back home sipping a Manhattan.  Wake up the next day, drive 10 minutes to your Doctor and have him look at it and back to your Manhattan.

You have NO fucking idea what you're talking about... Bitch.  None.

I'm telling you, the VA SUCKS.

I would NOT use it if I didn't have to.  No.Fucking.Way.

I gotta go again soon and it's a clusterfuck every time you do something with those people.

Yeah, free stuff?  Of course people like free stuff.  But when it comes to most of the complicated shit?  If they have Private Insurance, that's what they use.  If they have Medicare and can use a local, Private Doctor and Hospital, it's what they use.


----------



## waltky

No wonder injured vets are havin' a hard time establishin' their service records...

*More than 1,800 vets' records intentionally destroyed or misfiled by 2 clerks*
_January 30, 2014  -- More than 1,800 personnel records for U.S. veterans were destroyed or misfiled by two student employees of the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis County, federal criminal court documents show._


> One of the student employees, Lonnie Halkmon, 28, was sentenced Thursday to two years of probation and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service. The other, Stanley Engram, 21, is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 7. Both pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government records and faced probation to six months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.  Engram's guilty plea says that 241 military records were found in the woods near the center on July 3, 2012, with 300 names and Social Security numbers visible on the documents.
> 
> The records were traced to Engram, who admitted disposing of the records found in the woods, abandoning files in the center and throwing them away at home. In all, he admitted destroying or purposely misfiling more than 1,000 records.  Halkmon's plea says that after an incident, the center conducted an audit of all records assigned to employees in 2011 and 2012.  From Dec. 7, 2011 to March 28, 2012, over 1,200 files were assigned to Halkmon, and 850 were reported missing.
> 
> The audit covered 41 employees and Halkmon had the highest error rate. While most employees had an error rate of 3 percent, four other employees had disproportionate error rates, according to a state appellate court ruling.  It's not clear the total number of files that are missing and many may never be located due to the huge volume of records at the center.  Halkmon had worked at the center since 2005 and resigned rather than being terminated. The other four employees were offered the same deal.
> 
> MORE


----------



## OriginalShroom

Their punishment îs not nearly serious enough.   The damage the have done to veterans and the amount of hardship their actions are going to impose on any veteran who needs to have their records retrieved is unbelievable.   I made three sets of copies of both my medical and personal records before I got out and have one sy to my parents to keep for me.   I only did that because I had heard the horror stories.   Many people are not able to do that. 

Molon Labe


----------



## waltky

IAVA: More effort needed on backlog, electronic medical records...

*Veterans group: More effort needed on backlog, electronic medical records*
_February 3, 2014 ~ The Department of Veterans Affairs made significant strides in reducing the backlog of veteran disability claims last year, but aggressive steps are needed if the remaining 400,000 cases are to be handled and considerations are made for future claims, a new report suggests._


> The Battle to End the VA Backlog  released Monday by the non-profit advocacy group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America  suggests creation of long-promised electronic medical records shared by  the VA and the Defense Department; standardization of VA claims forms; and incentives for VA raters who cut the number of appeals by getting it right the first time.  The VA  has implemented a number of initiatives focusing on automation, personnel and processes to try and update this outdated, paper-based system and address this enormous backlog of claims, according to the reports executive summary. While there has been some progress to decrease the backlog, there is nothing to support which of these initiatives are working and which are not, nor is there evidence of planning beyond FY 2015.
> 
> Overall it must create an infrastructure that allows the disability compensation system to project future needs and adapt to a growing population of new veterans and even more complex injuries.  The report comes on the heels of President Barack Obamas State of the Union address, in which he vowed continued progress in addressing the backlog  a major part of his agenda for the past four years  but offered no concrete solutions.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In a statement addressing the report, the VA cites its aggressive plan to end the problem in 2015. No Veteran should have to wait for benefits theyve earned and deserve. ... We have made strong progress, and we know there is more work to do. ... Many of the recommendations in this report are consistent with our goals, addressed in our Transformation Plan, and reflect action already taken or underway.  VA disability claims ballooned when Americas veterans began returning home  many severely injured  from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the wars dragged on, the VA struggled to keep up as more and more entered the system.
> 
> Between 2009 and 2012, the number of backlogged claims  those pending for more than 125 days  tripled, and more than two-thirds of the pending claims were backlogged, according to the report.  In March 2013, the number of backlogged claims topped 600,000, with an additional 300,000 in the system.  Initiatives by the department reduced the backlog by more than 35 percent through December, the report said. VA officials have said they are on pace to end the backlog in 2015.
> 
> MORE


----------



## waltky

Granny says, "Dat's right - VA caught fibbin'...

*Secretary: VA cannot fire officials while investigations continue*
_November 6, 2014  WASHINGTON — The secretary of Veterans Affairs fired another shot in the battle over the continued employment of senior officials at the center of a national scandal, saying he cannot dismiss them while criminal investigations are ongoing._


> That contradicts what a Justice Department official told congressional committee investigators, as first reported by Stars and Stripes. That official said the Department of Justice “takes no position” on such employment matters.  But when questioned Thursday at a reporter’s roundtable, Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald said his hands are tied.  “We need to wait for the FBI to finish their investigations before we can act,” he said.  The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment.  Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is among a group in Congress who have criticized the lack of firings, said the secretary is using the DOJ criminal probes as a “smokescreen” to cover a lack of action.  “They can continue the [criminal] investigation after they fire them,” McCain told Stars and Stripes. “We gave him the authority in the law — for bad performance, not criminal behavior — to have the ability to get rid of them, so that was the clear understanding.”
> 
> The VA has been embroiled in scandal since whistleblowers reported the existence of secret wait lists and records manipulation at a Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care system. Subsequent investigation revealed similar problems nationwide and cost former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki his job.  The VA has been under intensifying scrutiny for continuing to pay senior leaders who have been linked to the scandal. In particular, the Phoenix system’s director, Sharon Helman, and her continued employment have come in for heavy criticism. A report by the VA Inspector General’s office accused her of presiding over an office that falsified documents and the creation of secret wait lists to make it appear patient wait times were shorter than they were and recommended she be fired.  She remains on paid leave, collecting her $170,000 salary.
> 
> Several other VA officials implicated in wrongdoing have been able to retire before they were fired, meaning they kept benefits they otherwise may have lost. In those cases, McDonald said his hands are tied by the law.  “The law says you can not claw back retirement earned over a career unless a person commits treason or a treasonous-like activity,” he said.  Critics are also saying the VA has missed a deadline for issuing “choice cards” that would allow some veterans to be covered by their benefits for care outside the VA system.  “It’s tragic that not only did the department fail to meet the deadline, but it then chose to paper-over the fact by releasing a letter from Secretary McDonald claiming they are in the process of rolling out the choice card while providing few concrete specifics,” Concerned Veterans of America CEO Pete Hegseth said in a released statement.
> 
> The law states that “the Secretary shall, not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, issue to each veteran described” in the bill. Nov. 5 marked 90 days after the enactment of the law.  On Thursday, McDonald said the VA is working to roll out the cards responsibly so that veterans are clear about whether they are eligible and denied that they had missed a deadline. The cards are to be sent out in three phases and all are to be mailed out by January, according to a Wednesday blog post by McDonald. The VA has begun mailing cards to the first group, veterans who live more than 40 miles from a VA facility.  “The law didn’t specify specifically,” he said, “which cards would go out on which day or to which addresses.”
> 
> Secretary VA cannot fire officials while investigations continue - News - Stripes



See also:

*Justice Department undercuts VA explanations on not firing executives*
_November 5, 2014  WASHINGTON — The VA says it has held off for months on firing top management linked to a nationwide health care scandal because of ongoing criminal probes by the Department of Justice._


> But the DOJ this week told House investigators it takes no position on the VA firing disgraced Phoenix hospital director Sharon Helman and others who were in charge while hundreds of veteran hospitals and clinics manipulated patient data.  House and Senate lawmakers have hammered the Department of Veterans Affairs on the lack of firings three months after Congress passed a $16.3-billion overhaul law, which included a provision allowing Secretary Bob McDonald to fire senior executives at will, replacing a process that often took months with one that takes just four weeks.  The VA told the House Veterans Affairs Committee it was asked by the DOJ to wait on terminations until criminal probes were completed. But the DOJ denied that when questioned by the committee in the run-up to a Capitol Hill hearing on the issue.  “The Department of Justice takes no position concerning whether the employment matters … should proceed or be stayed,” according to a Nov. 3 DOJ email to the House committee, obtained by Stars and Stripes.
> 
> The VA declined to answer questions about its reasons for delaying employee terminations in light of the DOJ statement or provide any example of an executive who has been fired using the new law.  The DOJ and the FBI, along with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel and the VA inspector general, are conducting more than 100 criminal and administrative investigations, according to the VA.  “When evidence of wrongdoing is discovered, VA will hold employees accountable and take action as quickly as law and due process allows,” department spokeswoman Linda West wrote in an email.  West said the agency has “proposed disciplinary action” against more than 40 of its employees for data manipulation and patient care since June.
> 
> The VA made a string of announcements in September and October about managers it recommended for termination but it remains unclear how many have actually been fired.  Helman remains on paid administrative leave six months after she was found at the epicenter of the nationwide scandal over VA doctoring electronic wait-time records to mask long and sometimes dangerous treatment delays, according to Senate and House lawmakers who have complained. Agency audits have substantiated the data manipulation in Phoenix but were unable to determine whether it was indeed responsible for veteran deaths — a conclusion that has drawn controversy since.
> 
> Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said the agency has the evidence needed to fire Helman and that keeping her and other executives connected to wrongdoing on the payroll is a waste of taxpayer money.  “The Department of Justice has already said it doesn’t mind if Helman is fired, so VA’s excuses as to why taxpayers must continue to pay her nearly $170,000 a year for doing nothing are simply hot air,” he said in a written statement.
> 
> The VA would not say whether it still employs Terry Gerigk Wolf, the former director of the VA health care system in Pittsburgh who oversaw a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that killed at least six patients and sickened many others.  The agency’s Office of Accountability Review, which was created by McDonald to root out a culture of corruption, determined Wolf should be fired on Oct. 3 — a process that could be completed by now under the new VA termination law — but the VA appears to have given her more time to appeal, according to the Tribune-Review newspaper.
> 
> Justice Department undercuts VA explanations on not firing executives - News - Stripes


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## waltky

Granny says, "Shame on him - shame, shame!...

*Emails: Michigan county VA director sought cash, gifts from veterans*
_January 7, 2015 ~  A county’s Veterans Affairs director in Michigan resigned Monday after emails were published in which he is shown to be demanding payment or other favors of veterans whom he had been helping with their health benefits._


> In emails obtained by media outlets, former Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Office Director Scott Losey asked for “a few dead presidents,” “Christmas presents” and other gifts from those seeking the department’s help.  In one of the emails, dated Oct. 20, 2011, Losey wrote about the hard work he’d done at his own home for one veteran.  “We will discuss a gentleman’s agreement to compensate for my personal time,” Losey wrote. “I have worked cases for veterans who reside outside Calhoun County over the past couple of years with the same kind of agreement. I will not gouge you like your Social Security lawyer. Perhaps 7 to 10 percent is typically the agreement. I have had veterans screw me over big time as well. Does this sound cool?”
> 
> “Also, where is my Christmas present,” Losey wrote in all capital letters in one email in December 2009. “Just so you know, my wife and I like to go out every once in a while for dinner…”  Losey also said in one of the emails to a veteran that “a few pain meds from your stash will suffice for now,” and in another that “I suppose now is as good as any to request one month truck payment as a confidential gentleman’s agreement for a job well done.”  Losey, director of the office for 15 years with an annual salary of $64,351, resigned after a veteran’s widow claimed he had shaken her down for $200 for the work he’d done on her husband’s claim.
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> Former Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Office Director Scott Losey asked for “a few dead presidents,” “Christmas presents” and other gifts from veterans seeking the department’s help, according to emails obtained by media outlets.
> 
> Calhoun County Administrator Kelli Scott told local outlet 24 Hour News 8 the case has been turned over to the federal government for investigation. A county attorney, Richard Lindsey, said the county has also opened up an investigation.  “The emails that you got copies of were disappointing, to say the least,” Scott said. “Accepting gifts on behalf of service performed in his official duty as a county employee absolutely would not be acceptable,” she continued.  The emails were sent out as recently as December.  “When the decision comes back as a winner and you receive that big fat retroactive check,” he wrote in an email dated May 22, 2014. “I need $1,600 to repair my transmission and YOU are going to help me out. DEAL?”
> 
> Emails Michigan county VA director sought cash gifts from veterans - News - Stripes



See also:

*Clay Hunt veteran suicide bill returns in new Congress*
_January 7, 2015  WASHINGTON — A bill to overhaul veteran suicide prevention programs is getting another chance in Congress after being scuttled last month by a retiring Senate budget hawk._


> The Clay Hunt SAV Act, named after a Marine veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who committed suicide, was reintroduced Wednesday by a group of House lawmakers and was expected to be filed in the Senate soon.  It calls for a one-stop website with suicide prevention resources for veterans, more Department of Veteran Affairs psychiatrists and an independent review of current department programs to determine which are effective.  Veteran groups have lauded the bill, and Hunt’s parents repeatedly lobbied for it on Capitol Hill. The VA struggles with veterans suicides, estimated at 22 per day.
> 
> The House unanimously passed the bill last year and the Senate was poised to do the same, but in the final hours of the 2014 session Tom Coburn, a GOP senator from Oklahoma, blocked a vote, saying the VA could improve services without a new law and budget cuts were needed to pay the $22 million price tag.  “Solutions to this horrific problem will only come from comprehensive, new ideas that improve the accessibility and effectiveness of mental health care available to our veterans,” Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said in a statement released Wednesday.  Miller, who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said it includes “crucial independent, third-party oversight” and requires greater VA accountability for its suicide prevention programs.
> 
> Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., and Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., also co-sponsored the bill.  “We must take action and I continue to believe that this bipartisan bill is a step in the right direction,” Walz said in a news release. “We can and must work urgently to send this bill to the president’s desk without delay.”  Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will also re-introduce the legislation in the Senate, according to an aide. He filed the bill last year and had 21 co-sponsors.  Another of the bill’s allies in the upper chamber of Congress, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., this week was publicly supporting another attempt to pass the bill.
> 
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> 
> This handout photo from November 2010 shows Clay Hunt in the 2010 Florida Ride. Hunt was a Marine Corps veteran who battled post-traumatic stress disorder, killed himself in 2011 after tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
> 
> Blumenthal, who is now the ranking member on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, went head-to-head with Coburn last month, urging the Republican to release his hold on the legislation and allow a Senate vote, though the pressure ultimately failed. Coburn was known for his harsh criticisms of government spending and his annual publication the Wastebook, which listed what he considered the most egregious cases.  Coburn argued that a massive overhaul of the VA passed last summer already pumped billions of dollars into fixing its programs and said that Congress should spend this year pressing the department for results on suicide prevention.  “Don’t pass another bill; hold the VA accountable,” he said in a Dec. 15 floor speech.
> 
> Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of American, a veterans’ service group, has vigorously supported the Clay Hunt bill and says it agrees the VA oversight is needed but that it must be coupled with specific changes to the suicide prevention programs.  For example, the bill creates new incentives for hiring more psychiatrists and would force the VA to address a critical lack of staff, according to the group.  But it is unlikely the bill will need to survive the same staunch opposition or criticism in the Senate, said Alex Nicholson, the IAVA legislative director.  Coburn was virtually the sole opponent and nearly all other Senators from the prior session appeared on board. The group is still feeling out some freshmen lawmakers.  “We expect the House to move a lot quicker and most likely the Senate will take up the House-passed version on the floor in February,” Nicholson said.
> 
> Clay Hunt veteran suicide bill returns in new Congress - Veterans - Stripes


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## waltky

Another VA claims backlog roadblock...

*VA Claims Backlog, Signature Problem Frustrate Nevada Veterans*
_Sep 08, 2015 | Nevada veterans with questions about delays in processing their disability claims and the ever-growing backlog say they've hit another roadblock._


> Veterans in the Reno area received letters about the status of their claims from a manager at the city's Veterans Benefits Administration Service Center who no longer works there, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  Willie L. Smith, a 30-year career Air Force veteran from North Las Vegas, said he's received a total of three letters from Allen Bittler, who hasn't worked at the agency's Reno regional office since he retired nearly two years ago, according to the newspaper.  Smith received a letter dated March 30 and signed by "A. Bittler," informing him, "We are still processing your application for COMPENSATION."
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> Smith told the paper he wants to know why months have passed without his receiving a disability rating decision, when the Department of Veteran Affairs recently announced the wait time for such decisions was down to 95 days from 357 days at the peak of the backlog in February 2013. Smith receives VA health care for other disabilities, but submitted a claim for a heart condition and spinal, neck and shoulder injuries in September 2014.  "All I want is a final determination," Smith told the paper. "Based on what they're saying about 95 days, why isn't mine resolved?"
> 
> VA officials said they do not comment on individual cases, but a spokesman for the Veterans Benefits Administration in Reno told the newspaper its office has "identified a computer glitch that continued to use Mr. Bittler's name on some outgoing correspondence." The mistake was caught in March, according to spokesman Nathanial Miller.
> 
> VA Claims Backlog, Signature Problem Frustrate Nevada Veterans | Military.com


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## waltky

IG's report is in...

*IG Report: 300,000 Veterans Died While Waiting for Health Care at VA*
_Sep 04, 2015 WASHINGTON -- More than 300,000 American military veterans likely died while waiting for health care -- and nearly twice as many are still waiting -- according to a new Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general report._


> The IG report says "serious" problems with enrollment data are making it impossible to determine exactly how many veterans are actively seeking health care from the VA, and how many were. For example, "data limitations" prevent investigators from determining how many now-deceased veterans applied for health care benefits or when.  But the findings would appear to confirm reports that first surfaced last year that many veterans died while awaiting care, as their applications got stuck in a system that the VA has struggled to overhaul. Some applications, the IG report says, go back nearly two decades.  The report addresses serious issues with the record-keeping itself.
> 
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> A visitor leaves the Sacramento Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Rancho Cordova, Calif.
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> More than half the applications listed as pending as of last year do not have application dates, and investigators "could not reliably determine how many records were associated with actual applications for enrollment" in VA health care, the report said.  The report also says VA workers incorrectly marked thousands of unprocessed health-care applications as completed and may have deleted 10,000 or more electronic "transactions" over the past five years.  Linda Halliday, the VA's acting inspector general, said the agency's Health Eligibility Center "has not effectively managed its business processes to ensure the consistent creation and maintenance of essential data" and recommended a multi-year plan to improve accuracy and usefulness of agency records.
> 
> Halliday's report came in response to a whistleblower who said more than 200,000 veterans with pending applications for VA health care were likely deceased.  The inspector general's report substantiated that claim and others, but said there was no way to tell for sure when or why the person died. Similarly, deficiencies in the VA's information security -- including a lack of audit trails and system backups -- limited investigators' ability to review some issues fully and rule out data manipulation, Halliday said.  The VA has said it has no way to purge the list of dead applicants, and said many of those listed in the report are likely to have used another type of insurance before they died.
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## waltky

Allison Hickey resigns under pressure...

*VA Undersecretary Resigns amid Pressure from Lawmakers, Vets Groups*
_Oct 16, 2015 | Veterans Benefits Administration Under Secretary Allison Hickey on Friday stepped down from the Veterans Affairs Department, where VA Secretary Bob McDonald said he accepted her resignation "with regret."_


> Hickey had been under pressure to resign by some lawmakers and veterans organizations, most recently for allowing a VA senior executive to move into a job that she coerced her predecessor to leave. Diana Rubens, now director of VA regional office in Philadelphia, also picked up $274,000 in moving assistance, according to the VA's Office of the Inspector General, which recommended that Hickey should be disciplined for choosing Rubens.  The IG's findings also prompted The American Legion to renew its own call for Hickey to go, which it first made in 2014 after reports emerged of VA medical centers concealing the scope of veterans awaiting appointments by keeping names on unofficial lists.
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> Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Benefits Allison Hickey speaks to veterans and VA employees at a "Healthy Heart" event in Washington, D.C.​
> McDonald made no reference to any VA scandal in announcing Hickey's resignation but praised her work with the department and her prior service with the U.S. Air Force.  "The Department of Veterans Affairs, and I personally, appreciate all that Allison has done to help transform VA for the veterans we are privileged to serve," McDonald said. "She has been an exceptional colleague and an even better friend, to me. Her commitment to excellence and service to our country is unquestioned, and we wish her all the best in her next endeavors."
> 
> McDonald credited Hickey with leadership in increasing to more than 5 million the number of veterans and survivors receiving monthly compensation and pension benefits, as well as reducing the claims backlog by nearly 90 percent – from 611,000 in 2013 to 75,316 currently, while also improving accuracy.  "Allison has served our country with honor for more than 30 years," McDonald said, "in the United States Air Force on active duty, in the Air National Guard, in the Air Force Reserve, [and] retiring with the rank of brigadier general as the director of the Air Force's Future Total Force office at the Pentagon, and here at VA as the Under Secretary for Benefits."
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See also:

*VA Cites Phoenix Facility for Poor Urology Care*
_Oct 16, 2015 -- Staffing shortages and a lack of access to clinical records unnecessarily endangered the health of several Phoenix patients battling prostate and bladder cancer, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said Thursday._


> In a new report, the VA's Office of Inspector General cited several failures of the Phoenix VA's urology care. Patients' appointments were canceled because of a failure to address a staffing crisis. Non-VA providers' clinical documents were not readily made available to health care administrators, according to the review. In all, the inspector general's office said 10 patients experienced delays in care that put them at risk.  U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, called the details in the report "absolutely tragic and appalling."  "No veteran should ever be denied care after he put his life on the line in our country," the Georgia Republican said in a statement. "I expect every person responsible for this tragedy to be held accountable."
> 
> The embattled Phoenix VA Health Care System was at the center of a national scandal last year about wait times and other problems that led to a system-wide overhaul. The former director of the Phoenix operation lost her job amid reports administrators falsified waiting lists in order to collect bonuses.  Isakson said the report was following up on several quality-of-care problems that were identified in the Phoenix VA Health Care System last year.  U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla. and chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, said the report is another reminder that VA leaders still have a lot of work ahead of them.  "It's well past time for VA to clean up the mess in Phoenix. That means providing veterans with the care they have earned in a timely fashion and swiftly firing any employee standing in the way of this important task," Miller said.
> 
> More than 1,400 patients experienced delays in getting new evaluations or follow-up appointments with urology-affiliated physicians. "Patients who experienced delays also likely experienced frustration, confusion, and often fear related to not getting appointment," the report stated.  The 10 patients who were most affected included a man in his 60s with a history of prostate cancer. A follow-up appointment in February 2013 was canceled by the VA clinic and never rescheduled. When the man saw a primary care physician 10 months later, the cancer had spread to his spine and he died in April 2014.  The inspector general's report recommends that the Phoenix VA's interim director ensure resources are in place to guarantee timely urological care. It also called for non-VA providers' patient care records to be readily accessible in an electronic database.
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> MORE



Related:

*McCain Hits VA Over Pick to Lead Southwest Region VA HealthCare*
_Oct 16, 2015 | A Veterans Affairs Department decision to appoint as head of a Southwest regional health network an official who allegedly gave false testimony to Congress about appointment wait times has drawn the ire of Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, who says “veterans in my state deserve better than to have a director who misled Congress about patient wait times or understated the severity of the VA’s failures.”_


> McCain made known his objection to Dr. Skye McDougall’s selection to head the regional network that includes the VA Medical Center in Phoenix in a letter Wednesday to VA Secretary Bob McDonald.  “I believe that this selection does nothing to regain veterans’ confidence that the VA has been reformed in the aftermath of the tragic scandal during which veterans died waiting for care while senior VA executives collected monetary bonuses,” McCain wrote.  The VA declined to comment on the letter beyond saying it would respond to McCain’s office.  The Phoenix VA hospital was ground zero to the patient wait-times scandal that rocked the department last year and led to the resignation McDonald’s predecessor, Eric Shinseki.
> 
> Whistleblowers reported the hospital maintained a secret list of veterans seeking appointments, which it kept separate from the official list in order to conceal the scope of the hospital’s inability to meet demand. Subsequent investigation by the VA’s Inspector General’s office determined the ploy was systemic across VA.  The IG also concluded that delays in getting care contributed to the deaths of some veterans.  McDougall is the chief medical officer and acting director of the VA’s Desert Pacific Healthcare Network, which includes the VA’s Greater Los Angeles Medical System. She is slated to take over the Southwest region during the first week of November.  In testimony before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on Feb. 10, 2015, McDougall said the “average wait time for a new patient [at the L.A. system] right now is about four days.”
> 
> But data and whistleblower information reported by CNN in March indicated that the average wait time for a new patient there was 48 days, with some veterans waiting six months to be seen.  House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, asked the VA Office of the Inspector General in July to investigate the discrepancy between her testimony and the CNN report.  The VA denies her testimony was false, and said the discrepancy in wait times is the result of the VA appointment system registering a “create date” when an appointment is made as well as a “preferred date” given by the veteran.  “The create date and the preferred date could be the same, but usually they are not the same,” the VA said. The VA measures both dates.
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## waltky

Congress gettin' in the way of VA abuse of power probe...

*Congress Hampering Probes of VA Abuse of Power: Department Officials*
_Oct 21, 2015 | A U.S. House of Representatives inquiry into allegations that senior executives at the Veterans Affairs Department abused their positions of authority hampers ongoing investigations, agency officials said._


> Deputy VA Secretary Sloan Gibson made the warning in a letter Tuesday to House Veterans Affairs Committee Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, explaining why he would not allow five VA executives to testify before the House panel on Wednesday on allegations raised in a report by the department's office of the inspector general.  "[This] committee's questioning VA witnesses about the individual accountability issues raised in the OIG report creates the appearance that accountability actions may have been pre-decided," Gibson wrote. "The OIG report ... is not evidence, but simply the investigator's summary of what they believed the evidence to show."  In addition to the VA's investigation, the U.S. Attorney's office is also reviewing the IG report to determine if criminal charges should be brought against anyone.
> 
> Gibson said that while the IG report came out last month, he only received on Oct. 16 the "full evidentiary record" upon which investigators drew their conclusions.  "It is critical that I be afforded the opportunity to review the evidence and make the necessary decisions independent of undue external influence," he wrote. "I ask, simply, that the Committee wait until the appropriate time to question witnesses about these still-pending matters."  But the House committee on Wednesday voted to subpoena the five witnesses, including former Under Secretary for Benefits Allison Hickey, who resigned from her position last week. The five must now appear before the panel on Nov. 2.  During the hearing, Miller said Gibson informed the committee last week that none of the witnesses the panel asked to hear from would attend, but that he would testify on behalf of the VA. Miller rejected Gibson's bid to testify.
> 
> In addition to Hickey, the lawmakers have subpoenaed Diana Rubens, director of the VA's Philadelphia Regional Office; Kimberley Graves, director of the St. Paul, Minnesota, Regional Office; Antoine Waller, director of the Baltimore Regional Office; and Robert McKenrick, director of the Los Angeles Regional Office.  According to the IG report, Rubens had been a deputy under secretary for field operations until she took over as director for Philadelphia post in June 2014, replacing McKenrick. McKenrick told the IG he was told to take the Los Angeles position or lose his job.  Graves, formerly director of the Veterans Benefits Administration's Eastern Area Office (now called the North Atlantic District) took over as director of the St. Paul position in October 2014. Waller, who had held that position, told investigators he reluctantly left it for the Baltimore position after Graves' subordinate told him his name had already been given to VA Secretary Bob McDonald for the job and he was expected to take it.
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See also:

*Missouri Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Veterans Program*
_ Oct 21, 2015 — A 70-year-old Missouri woman has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for defrauding a federal program designed to award contracts to businesses owned by service-disabled veterans._


> U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says Mary Parker of Blue Springs, Missouri, pleaded guilty in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, to one count of aiding and abetting wire fraud. She admitted helping her son, Warren Parker, and her son, Michael Parker, in making false claims for their company, Silver Star Construction of Blue Springs and Stilwell, Kansas.
> 
> Prosecutors say the company obtained more than $6.7 million in contracts from the Department of Veterans Affairs.  An investigation determined that Warren Parker never was classified as a service-disabled vet.  He was sentenced in 2012 to 87 months in prison.
> 
> Missouri Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Veterans Program | Military.com



Related:

*Congress Subpoenas VA Officials Over IG Allegations*
_Oct 21, 2015 | Congress has issued subpoenas to five Veterans Affairs Department employees after they failed to show up and testify before a House panel on Wednesday in connection with a damning inspector general report alleging misuse of authority and a VA relocation program._


> House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, said he asked on Oct. 1 that the five -- former Under Secretary for Benefits Allison Hickey, Diana Rubens, director of the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Regional Office, Kimberley Graves, director of the St. Paul, Minnesota Regional Office, Antione Waller, director of the Baltimore Maryland Regional Office and Robert McKenrick, director of the Los Angeles Regional Office -- to testify on the IG allegations.  "As you can see, their seats are empty and apparently they will not appear at today's hearing," Miller said.  The hearing stems from a VA IG report that concluded Rubens and Graves used their positions to push the former Philadelphia and St. Paul regional directors out of their jobs so they could fill them. The report also found they improperly benefited from a relocation assistance program that provided them hundreds of thousands of dollars to move to their new locations.
> 
> Rubens had been a deputy under secretary for field operations until she took over as director for Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Philadelphia in June 2014. Graves, formerly director of the Veterans Benefits Administration's Eastern Area Office (now called the North Atlantic District) took over as director of the St. Paul, Minnesota, position in October 2014.  Acting VA Inspector General Linda Halliday told lawmakers Wednesday that the Justice Department is currently reviewing the IG's findings, which it forwarded to the department for possible criminal charges.  McKenrick, who was transferred from Philadelphia to the Los Angeles regional office, told the IG he was told to take the LA position or lose his job. Waller reluctantly left as director of the St. Paul regional office for the Baltimore position after Graves' subordinate told him his name had already been given to VA Secretary Bob McDonald for the job and he was expected to take it.
> 
> Acting VA Inspector General Linda Halliday told lawmakers that VBA used reassignments through its job change and relocation assistance programs as a way to increase senior executive salary pay during a time when SES salaries were frozen and bonuses halted.  "During an interview, we asked [Hickey] if salary increases and relocation incentives were a way to get around pay freezes and bans on performance bonuses," Halliday said in her testimony. "The Under Secretary stated that the salary increases were about ‘level-setting pay.'"  Hickey also said the increases and incentives were more about resetting base pay to get everybody into "a more even, more fair model," Halliday told the House panel.  Hickey resigned her job last week amid growing pressure from lawmakers and veterans groups for allowing Rubens and Graves to move into their new jobs and benefit from the relocation program that saw Rubens pick up $274,000 in moving assistance and Graves $129,000.
> 
> Congress Subpoenas VA Officials Over IG Allegations | Military.com


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## waltky

VA to get help from the private care sector...

*Private Hospital Network to Help VA with Mental Health Care for Vets*
_Nov 06, 2015 | WASHINGTON — With too many wounded service members struggling to get timely and consistent mental health care at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the agency has been forced to look outside its own walls to get them the help they need. Toward that goal, the VA is in talks to become involved formerly in a unique network of private hospitals across the country that will offer free outpatient mental health care to thousands of veterans._


> The Warrior Care Network was founded by the nonprofit Wounded Warrior Project with a $70 million grant. It will launch in early 2016 at four major medical centers to diagnose, rehabilitate and design modes of care for suffering veterans. The clinicians will share their case studies and research to document best treatments for veterans from such mental wounds as mild traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress.  It could be “a game-changer for veterans,” said Jeremy Chwat, chief strategy officer at Wounded Warrior Project.  “The reason we pursued this, in large part, is that in findings year over year in our survey, warriors are struggling to access mental health care on a daily basis,” he said. “There’s a dearth of culturally competent clinicians to meet the need.”
> 
> Last week, a report by the Government Accountability Office found the VA remains inconsistent in giving veterans timely mental health care appointments and facilities are not tracking appointment wait times properly, so veterans sometimes wait far longer for appointments than the official records indicate. It’s the latest in a long chain of indicators that the VA simply cannot handle the demand on its services.  Chwat and others involved in the network said this could mark a new way forward to fill that gap. Officials at the VA declined to comment.  The network hospitals will offer two types of outpatient treatments for some 3,000 to 4,000 veterans each year. The first involves regular appointments with a therapist or doctor. The second is a more intensive two- or three-week treatment program in which veterans can be flown in from anywhere in the country and undergo a thorough examination, diagnosis and course of treatment, similar to what the military centers of excellence have been doing for active duty servicemembers. The veteran would be sent back home with a plan for continued care.
> 
> Involving the VA in the network would help veterans transition between the VA and private care and would allow for doctors in the network to write prescriptions that would be recognized at the VA, Chwat said. It also would mean veterans could seek the prescribed follow-on care at the VA.  Ensuring continued care is critical, and the VA will have to hold up its end, Chwat said.  “Making sure we have the follow-on treatment is crucial to the success and we are going to need the VA for that,” he said. “It is the piece of this that keeps me up at night.”  Participating in the network: Emory Healthcare’s Veterans Program in Atlanta, the Home Base Program at Massachusetts General in Boston, Operation Mend at UCLA Health in Los Angeles and the Road Home Program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
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## waltky

Getting away with white collar crime...

*VA Lacks Authority to Force Executives to Return $400K Netted in Scam*
_ Nov 25, 2015 | The Department of Veterans Affairs will not try to recoup the more than $400,000 netted by two senior VA executives who manipulated the hiring system to get their jobs of choice and received the money to relocate._


> The agency has remained silent on questions about its decision to demote and transfer but not fire executives Diana Rubens and Kimberly Graves, and whether it would collect repayment of those relocation benefits. The original statement from the VA announcing the decision said the women had the right to appeal their reassignments.  But Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said the VA's top lawyer has determined that the agency does not have the legal authority to recoup the money, even after acknowledging that the women had abused their offices.  "I am flabbergasted," Miller said in a letter to VA Secretary Bob McDonald, released Tuesday. "How can it be that the law prohibits recouping benefits paid to, or on behalf of, employees who only received those benefits because they abused their positions of authority? To put it mildly, VA's decision defies common sense."
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> VA St. Paul Regional Office Director Kimberly Graves listens at a Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Nov. 2, 2015. Graves asserted her Fifth Amendment rights under the Constitution against self-incrimination.​
> On Sept. 28, the VA Inspector General's office issued a report finding that Rubens and Graves had "inappropriately used their positions of authority for personal and financial benefit" by arranging the transfer of subordinates whose jobs they wanted and then volunteering to fill the vacancies.  Rubens became director of Veterans Benefits Administration's Philadelphia and Wilmington regional offices and received $274,019.12 for relocation expenses under a program that was meant to offer incentives for hard-to-fill posts. Graves became director of the VBA's St. Paul, Minnesota, regional office, with relocation pay of $129,467.56. The relocation incentives program has since been indefinitely put on hold.  Both women maintained their senior executive salaries after transferring to these less-demanding jobs. Their predecessors also received relocation costs totaling $60,000, the report found. Rubens received an $8,000 bonus last year, which she was not asked to repay.
> 
> The report recommended that the VA deputy secretary consult with the VA's Office of General Counsel to determine whether Rubens and Graves should have to repay their relocation expenses.  Asked about the information in Miller's letter, VA spokesman James Hutton responded by email, saying only, "I have nothing new for you on this."  When asked about the determination by the Office of General Counsel and whether criminal charges would be referred against Rubens and Graves, the Office of Inspector General said, "We do not have information that is responsive to your questions," and deferred questions of possible prosecution to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Neither that office nor the Department of Justice immediately responded to a query on the issue.  McDonald's press secretary did not respond to calls and emails. A call to McDonald's personal cell phone went to voicemail, and no one responded.
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## waltky

Granny says demote `em back to the mail room...

*Dodging Criminal Charges, Former VA Execs May Still Be Disciplined*
_Dec 31, 2015 | The two former executives at the Department of Veterans Affairs dodged criminal charges but still may face disciplinary action for manipulating the VA's hiring system for personal gain._


> The Associated Press reported this week that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia declined a referral from the VA inspector general for criminal prosecution of Diana Rubens and Kimberly Graves, who were accused of forcing subordinates to vacate positions they wanted for themselves.  But the VA's own disciplinary process has restarted, according to a source who requested anonymity to freely discuss the matter with Military.com. The case has faced intense scrutiny from lawmakers, including Rep. Jeff Miller, a Republican from Florida and the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, who referenced the issue as recently as last week in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Diana Rubens​
> The inspector general report "detailed how the VA executives pressured subordinates to accept position transfers only to volunteer for the vacated jobs while keeping their original salaries and having VA pay them more than $400,000 in taxpayer funded relocation benefits," he wrote in the Dec. 22 correspondence, a copy of which was obtained by Military.com.  "Will the DoJ pursue charges against these employees?" he added. "If not, why not?"  In the letter, Miller also referenced another scandal at the department involving the manipulation of patient wait times and asked Lynch for an update on the investigation beyond the Phoenix hospital where the issue first surfaced.  A spokesman for the Justice Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Military.com.
> 
> Graves, the former director of the St. Paul, Minnesota Regional Office, and Rubens, director of the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Regional Office, last month repeatedly invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during an inquiry into the matter led by Miller.  The two faced disciplinary action under the provisions of the Accountability Act that lawmakers passed last year to fast-track firings of VA employees for misbehavior or incompetence, according to Danny Pummill, principal deputy undersecretary for benefits.  "They are now in the appeal process," he said during the hearing. "At the end of seven days, we can tell the committee what the punishment was."
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Kimberly Graves​
> But the effort was delayed after VA officials reportedly failed to provide additional evidence during an appeals hearing -- an oversight that apparently caused the process to start over.  A spokesman for the VA didn't immediately respond to a telephone request for comment regarding the resumption of the disciplinary process against Rubens and Graves.  Joe Davis, a spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Washington, D.C., said the case highlights shortcomings in the department's rules.  "Just because something stinks doesn't make it criminally illegal," he said in an email to Military.com. "The two individuals exposed loopholes that need to be fixed to ensure that no one else can manipulate the system for personal gain."
> 
> Dodging Criminal Charges, Former VA Execs May Still Be Disciplined | Military.com


----------



## waltky

Granny says, "Dat's right - the more things change, the more they remain the same...

*2 Controversial VA Directors Back on the Job*
_ Feb 22, 2016 | WASHINGTON -- Two controversial directors involved in a hiring-system scheme at the Department of Veterans Affairs were back on the job Monday, after a decision to reassign them was overturned by an appeals board._


> Deputy VA Secretary Sloan Gibson announced the reinstatement of Philadelphia VA Regional Office director Diana Rubens and St. Paul (Minn.) VA Regional Office director Kimberly Graves. He visited Philadelphia to hold two town hall meetings with employees, according to an internal memo obtained by Stars and Stripes.  A VA Inspector General's report found that Rubens and Graves manipulated the hiring system to get moved to positions of lesser responsibility while maintaining the same salary. The VA disputed those allegations and instead found the women guilty of the less serious offense of not recusing themselves from the relocation process, in which they received about $400,000. The VA ordered the women demoted and reassigned.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> VA officials Diana Rubens of Philadelphia, left, and Kimberly Graves of St. Paul, Minn., at a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing in Washington​
> However, the Merit Systems Protection Board overturned the VA's punishment, part of a growing battle between the federal employee appeals board and the department. The VA has also been at odds with the Inspector General's office, which Gibson said has issued findings not supported by evidence.In a statement released Monday, Gibson said his proposed disciplinary actions "do not diminish the confidence VA leadership has in the abilities of Ms. Graves and Ms. Rubens to manage their offices, lead their employees and provide benefits to Veterans.  "The disciplinary actions I took and any follow-on actions I may elect to take as a result of the initial actions being overturned, were based on the lack of judgment they displayed when they did not recuse themselves from the relocation decisions as quickly or as forcefully as they should have," he said. "Allegations of unethical behavior in the Inspector General report were not supported by any of the evidence I reviewed."
> 
> After the quasi-judicial board overturned the punishments for Rubens and Graves in January, it reversed the firing of Linda Weiss, director of the Albany-Stratton VA Medical Center in New York. The board ordered Weiss, who was accused of not responding to patient abuse, to be reinstated but Gibson has vowed not to implement the order.
> 
> 2 Controversial VA Directors Back on the Job | Military.com



See also:

*VA Boosts Budget to Tackle Outstanding Healthcare Claims from Vets*
_Feb 09, 2016 | The Veterans Affairs Department is requesting a budget of $182 billion next year, a nearly $20 billion funding increase designed in part to tackle outstanding health care claims from veterans.  The proposed spending plan unveiled on Tuesday includes nearly $103.6 billion for mandatory programs such as disability compensation and pensions, and more than $78 billion in discretionary funding -- mostly for health care._


> VA Secretary Bob McDonald, who is scheduled to testify Wednesday before Congress on the budget request, said the agency now has "one of the greatest opportunities in its history to transform the way it cares for our veterans."  McDonald says the funding will expand health care options to veterans across the country, continue efforts to end chronic veteran homelessness and further reduce the backlog on first-time claims and also on appeals.  Claims appeals, which have increased over the past six years as the VA put more resources and manpower into tackling the first-time claims backlog, is being targeted next year with more money and personnel.  The budget proposes $156.1 million and 922 full time employees for the Board of Appeals, up from about $110 million for a staff of 680 personnel in 2016.  The department's spending plan marks the last one that President Barack Obama will submit as his second term ends next year and amounts to about double what it was in 2009 when he was sworn in.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After the White House released the budget details, Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, a Republican from Florida and the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, released a rundown of recent and longstanding department problems, from cost overruns on construction projects to employees not being held accountable for poor performance and alleged wrongdoing.  "I will fight to ensure VA has the resources it needs, but given the complete lack of accountability for the department's string of past financial failures, this budget request will receive every bit of the scrutiny it is due," he said in a statement.  The department budgeted $68.6 billion for health care. Of that amount, more than $12 billion is slated to deliver health care to vets in their community.  Another $8.5 billion is for long-term care; $7.8 billion for mental health programs; $1.6 billion to reduce veteran homelessness; $1.5 billion to treat veterans ill with hepatitis C; $601 million for treating spinal cord injuries and $284 million for traumatic brain injuries, according to budget documents.  The VA expects to spend $725 million for caregivers.
> 
> To improve claims processing, the VA is continuing to invest in technology, earmarking $180 million to the Veterans Benefits Administration to enhance its electronic claims system and $143 million to the Veterans Claims Intake Program to continue converting older, paper records, including health records, into digital images and data.  The backlog in first-time claims -- those not acted on within 125 days of filing -- has been reduced from its 2013 peak of 611,000 to about 82,000, McDonald said last month.  Unlike other parts of the federal budget, Congress has authorized the VA to include funding requests one year in advance. As a result, the department included 2018 funding figures that totaled about $174 billion, including $104 billion in mandatory programs, a $1.5 billion increase from the 2017 request, and $470 billion in advance appropriations, an boost of about $300,000 from next year's amount.
> 
> VA Boosts Budget to Tackle Outstanding Healthcare Claims from Vets | Military.com


----------



## Moonglow

OriginalShroom said:


> And some people want the Government to take over our Healthcare when they can't even handle Veterans?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ?Decades old problem? exacerbates benefits backlog for veterans ? MSNBC
> 
> 
> The Department of Veterans Affairs has been scrambling to fix its backlog, which has reached 584,308 claims that have been pending for 125 days or more. About 873,680 veterans have filed claims and that number continues to grow.
Click to expand...

The VA has taken care of my health better than when I had health coverage at work in the civilian world...


----------



## whitehall

The federal government seems to have no problem supplying quality health care at little or no cost to an estimated 12 million people who are illegally in the Country. The Bush/Gore election tipped the hand of the democrat agenda when the little army of Gore lawyers high fived each other when unopened ballots from Ships and Military installations were tossed in the garbage unread for some trivial issue that the Military had no control over. The obvious reason for throwing away unopened ballots is that the Gore people (correctly) assumed that the majority of Military based votes would not favor democrats. The uncomfortable fact of life is that democrat administrations care about one thing and one thing only. It's about the voting democrat base and the base doesn't include members of the Military or Veterans.


----------



## waltky

VA Execs Accused in Job Scam returned to posts...

*Return of VA Execs Accused in Job Scam Isn't Accountability: Legion*
_Feb 24, 2016 | Hundreds of members of The American Legion gathered before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees on Wednesday to hear their leaders slam the Veterans Affairs Department for failing to hold VA employees accountable for conduct they say should have had them fired._


> "VA has described accountability as a top priority in the aftermath of scandals blamed for costing some veterans their lives, the payout of questionable performance bonuses, and ill-fated efforts to discipline executives who were found to have abused their positions," Legion Commander Dale Barnett said.  But that's not what veterans have seen, he added, most recently when the VA's move to discipline senior executives was overturned on appeal and the employees sent back to work, the previous jobs and salaries in restored.  "Veterans do not see this as accountability," Barnett told the lawmakers.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Philadelphia VA Director Diana Rubens​
> Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican from Georgia and chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, told the Legionnaires that legislation was coming that will strengthen the department's leadership's hand when it comes to disciplining employees.  "I have committed myself to see to it that before this term is over this year, hopefully by the 31st of March, we'd begin the process of passing comprehensive omnibus bill that incorporates the bills we all know need to become law," Isakson said.  The Legion earlier on Wednesday announced it had awarded Isakson its National Commander's Distinguished Public Service Award, which is given annually to an elected official who has established an outstanding record in support of those principles advanced by The American Legion.
> 
> At the hearing, Isakson said the coming legislation will include a number of proposals by VA Secretary Bob McDonald, including one that would convert Senior Executive Service-level employees, including administrators and directors who manage the agency's medical centers, to Title 38 employees, including professional medical staff such as doctors and nurses.  Title 38 employees do not have the same Civil Service appeals process as SES employees. The latter may appeal disciplinary actions to the Merit System Protection Board, which is where the actions against several recent workers were overturned.  The final arbiter in a disciplinary appeal involving Title38 workers would be the VA secretary or his designee.
> 
> MORE



See also:

*Senators Pledge to Support VA Chief's Accountability Proposals*
_Feb 23, 2016 | Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald on Tuesday met with Senators to discuss the VA's budget for fiscal 2017 and appropriations for the following year._


> But the issue of funding took a backseat in the discussion as lawmakers were more intent to talk about McDonald's proposals to hold VA employees accountable for wrongdoing or poor performance.  "My goal is to see to it that by the end of March we have an accountability bill for the VA employees that's right for the veterans and right for those employees," said Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican from Georgia and chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.  "We are looking to the future to ensure that if we have problems ... we have a defensible accountability system within the department to correct a wrong and make sure it does not happen again, he added.
> 
> Isakson and other lawmakers said they were ready to give McDonald the ability to make both the hiring and firing of employees easier.  As part of the department's budget proposal, McDonald asked Congress to convert Senior Executive Service-level employees -- top administrators and directors at the VA's medical centers -- to Title 38 employees -- the category that includes doctors and nurses.  McDonald said the change would make it easier to fill the 34 medical center directorships that have been open, in some cases for years, and also to discipline employees when necessary.  In the latter case, the change would end the executives' ability to appeal disciplinary actions to the Merit System Protection Board by making McDonald, or his designee, the final word in an appeal.
> 
> Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, urged the committee to press Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and the Senate majority Leader, to schedule a vote on the changes.  "We need to push the leadership to get this to the floor and hold this man (McDonald) accountable," Tester said. "We can't hold him accountable if his hands are tied ... If he screws up [he's] gone. But the fact is," he said to the secretary, "I trust you, I believe you can get this done."  Saying there is a "very limited amount of time" to move the legislation, Tester told Isakson that "if it takes a letter, if it takes phone calls, if it takes a group meeting with Sen. McConnell, I'll join you in that."
> 
> Converting the administration and directorships from SES to Title 38, the section of the law that spells out the hiring practices for VA health care workers and others -- was prompted by recent MSPB judge rulings overturning VA disciplinary actions against executives accused of wrongdoing.  McDonald told the lawmakers that converting the job categories is not only about being able to discipline people. He said it's also about being more competitive with the private sector in recruiting and compensation, since it is easier to hire and compensate under Title 38 than the Civil Service rules for SES employees.  "It's not about firing people," he said. "It's about treating VA career executives more like their private sector counterparts. It's the kind of flexibility that attracts top performers in the private sector. VA needs that flexibility, too."
> 
> Senators Pledge to Support VA Chief's Accountability Proposals | Military.com


----------



## waltky

One big Fubar...

*Errors Delayed Claims for Aging, Disabled Veterans*
_Apr 03, 2016 | I've been getting complaints for years about how slow the government is to appoint fiduciaries to manage veterans benefits for former service members or their spouses who are old or disabled.  It seemed as if the Department of Veterans Affairs had forgotten about them.  In some cases, it did._


> The agency sheepishly announced a few weeks ago that about 14,000 fiduciary claims, some dating to 2000, didn't get processed because they weren't transferred properly within the agency's bureaucracy.  The delay could have cost veterans and their families thousands of dollars. If a veteran dies before a fiduciary is appointed, benefits that have been withheld pending the appointment aren't always paid. Uncle Sam profits from its tardiness.  "We sincerely apologize to these veterans and their survivors for this regrettable delay," VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson said in a statement March 24. "We are taking immediate action to complete these cases, initiate the fiduciary appointment process, and ensure that these errors do not happen again."
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The cover of a VA publication about its fiduciary program, which came under heavy criticism from the department's own inspector general.​
> The VA's definition of "immediate action" probably differs from yours and mine. The VA said it could take as long as six months, or more. What else did you expect from an agency with a reputation for being as quick as a tortoise?  The VA appoints fiduciaries to manage government benefits for veterans who are deemed incompetent to handle their money. That most typically happens with disabled and aging veterans, or their widows and widowers, who apply for pension benefits to cover the cost of their care in a nursing home.  They must meet income requirements. Once they are approved, a process that can take months, their monthly benefits payments begin flowing. But they won't get any retroactive payments they are owed for the period between their application and approval if the VA believes a money manager is needed.
> 
> Staff will interview the veteran or eligible widow/widower to assess their competency. If it is determined that a fiduciary is required, appointing one can take many more months. During that time, the retroactive payments, which can be thousands of dollars, continue to be withheld.  The VA isn't comfortable releasing such large sums to someone considered to be unable to manage their money. So veterans must draw down their savings or rely on relatives to pay the nursing home bill until that money is released, though I've heard that some homes graciously will let the bill ride for at least a while for the benefits to come through.  A few years ago, I wrote about a Carbon County woman who went through that. It took her eight months to get appointed as fiduciary for her father, a World War II veteran, and likely would have taken longer if the Watchdog hadn't intervened.
> 
> MORE



See also:

*Veterans Facing Cancer Hope That 'Atomic Veteran' Bill Becomes Law*
_   Apr 03, 2016 | Congress is considering a bill that would create a special "atomic veteran" designation for the men and women who worked to clean up nuclear waste from a South Pacific atoll nearly 40 years ago, a move that Maine veteran Paul Laird says was a long time coming._


> But Laird, a 59-year-old from Otisfield who served with the U.S. Army's 84th Engineer Battalion on Enewetak Atoll and who is a three-time cancer survivor, said that the bill has only a slim chance of becoming law -- and that is not acceptable to him. As of now, only 30 co-sponsors have officially signed on to the bill, which is a number the Mainer said does not seem like enough.  "We are not seeing people jump up and down to get on board," he said earlier this month. "We're a little disappointed. We're trying however we can to get the word out, but people just don't seem to think it's very important."  The bill, H.R. 3870, is called the Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act, and was introduced last November by US Rep. Mark Takai, D-Hawaii. It was referred to the House subcommittee on health on Nov. 6 and has not advanced any farther on its legislative path.
> 
> The website GovTrack.us, which follows Congress, only gave the bill a 5 percent chance of getting out of committee and a 1 percent chance of being enacted into law.  Veterans such as Laird and Jeffery Dean of Belfast want to be designated as so-called atomic veterans so that if they are diagnosed with one of several specific cancers or nonmalignant conditions they can be entitled to compensation or free medical care through the US Department of Veterans Affairs. With this designation, they would not have to prove their cancers were caused by radiation and would likely have an easier time getting a disability rating from the VA.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A thermonuclear explosion rises above Enewetak Atoll on New Year's Eve 1952.​
> Laird and Dean were among approximately 6,000 American soldiers tasked with rehabilitating the atoll between 1977 and 1980 before it was returned to the people of the Marshall Islands. The tiny island was the scene of more than 40 nuclear tests from 1948 to 1958, and when the two Mainers were among those told to clean it up with little protective gear, they believe they became contaminated with radioactive dust.  "The stuff was like baby powder," Laird said of the contaminated soil he moved with a bulldozer and bucket loader. "When you dumped it in the back of the truck it would just go poof. The first weeks I was there I begged for a dust mask. They said they were on back order and just wrap your T-shirt around your nose."
> 
> He said that he is in communication with 340 known surviving veterans from Enewetak Atoll, and of the 340, there is a 35 percent cancer rate.  "We have many guys that have already died. We have lots more with a foot in the grave," Laird said. "I've had three different forms of cancer, which is very, very rare. I was in good shape my whole life, then all of a sudden, it was like someone flipped the switch. That's what radiation does."  Dean, another cancer survivor, said last year that it is past time for the veterans to get the designation and health care they need.  "We're all suffering the consequences," he said. "Vets are dying with no mystery to it."
> 
> MORE


----------



## waltky

Wait-times were systemic across the Veterans Affairs Department...

*IG Reports Detail Which VA Facilities Doctored Patient Wait-Times*
_Apr 08, 2016 | Two years after whistleblower revelations of manipulated appointment times at the Veterans Medical Center in Phoenix led to findings that the problem was systemic across the Veterans Affairs Department, internal investigations into the matter are finally being released._


> The reports, documenting the manipulation of wait-times at VA facilities across 19 states, reveal that in at least seven facilities the dates were falsified per order of supervisors, according to an article in USA Today, which acquired the documents through a Freedom of Information Act request.  The 71 reports are now available for viewing on the department's website. The VA anticipates releasing another half dozen reports at least. It is also completing 30 site-specific investigations that it will release in the coming months, department spokesman James Hutton said.
> 
> The reports finally identify VA hospitals and clinics where appointment data was manipulated. In particular, inspector general concluded appointment dates were manipulated in accordance with supervisor instructions in facilities in seven states, including Arkansas, California, Delaware, Illinois, New York, Texas and Vermont.  The investigations were carried out in 2014 after whistleblowers went public with allegations of appointment gaming that resulted in veteran deaths at the Phoenix hospital.  Altogether, 40 VA hospitals and clinics across the U.S. and Puerto Rico were found to be "zeroing out" wait times -- meaning they would adjust the dates to make it appear veterans were getting the appointment dates they desired rather than those that were available.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs​
> The manipulation concealed the extent to which facilities were not keeping up with patient demand. In some instances confirmed by the IG agents, wait-times were manipulated as a result of poor training or instruction, though the net results were skewed appointment data in violation of VA procedure.  The department, in anticipation of the reports' release, said last week that it's "important to note that OIG has not substantiated any case in which a [Veterans Health Administration] Senior Executive or other senior leader intentionally manipulated scheduling data."  In about a third of the inspector general investigations, there was no evidence of manipulated appointment data, it said. Of those remaining, investigators substantiated 18 instances of intentional misuse of scheduling systems.
> 
> Of those 18 cases, VA says, the Office of Accountability Review found individual misconduct warranting discipline in 12, resulting in 29 employees who were disciplined. VA did not offer a detailed accounting of the actions taken, saying only that they ranged from official admonishment to removal, including three employees who retired or resigned with disciplinary action pending.  Rep. Jeff Miller, a Republican from Florida and chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, on Friday said the inspector general reports "document dysfunction on the part of both the Department of Veterans Affairs and its inspector general."  Miller, who has been the most vocal among lawmakers in demanding VA reform and accountability, slammed the department for sitting on the reports for so long.
> 
> MORE


----------



## waltky

Sharon Helman scores legal win...




*Fired Phoenix VA Director Scores Legal Win, Sparks Outrage*
_Jun 03, 2016 | WASHINGTON -- The former director of Phoenix veterans hospitals who was at the center of a 2014 wait-time scandal scored a major legal win this week, shooting down sections of a law allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs to quickly fire misbehaving employees._


> U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Tuesday that the law fast-tracking firings is unconstitutional because VA employees cannot appeal a final decision by an administrative judge.  Lynch and President Barack Obama's administration have sided with Sharon Helman, who is suing in federal court over her 2014 termination from the VA for accepting a trip to Disneyland and other gifts.  The decision by Lynch is new evidence of the VA's faltering efforts to fire executives and employees when it deems them guilty of misconduct. It also undercuts a key reform passed by Congress in the months following the nationwide VA scandal, which erupted after a doctor in Phoenix said veterans were dying while waiting for care at the facilities overseen by Helman.
> 
> The Obama administration is sending the message that "the sanctity of a federal bureaucrat's job is far more important than the health and well-being of our veterans," said Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, an architect of the law.  McCain blasted the president for originally touting and signing the law. Other Republicans also voiced outrage over the decision.  "The effect of this reckless action is clear. It undermines very modest reforms to our broken civil service system supported in 2014 by the president and an overwhelming majority of Congress," said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sharon Helman, director of the Phoenix VA Health Care System.​
> In the past, employees had the option of appealing their termination to the Merit Systems Protection Board -- a panel appointed by the president -- in a process that could typically take months. But a joint VA-White House investigation during the wait-time scandal found a "corrosive culture" and widespread poor management at veterans hospitals and clinics across the country.  The findings added urgency to VA efforts to quickly root out bad employees. A $16 billion reform law passed by Congress in 2014 dramatically scaled back the appeals process, ordering an administrative judge to make a final decision within 21 days -- with no appeal options -- on whether to uphold the firing.  But Lynch now contends the law violates the Constitution because it allows nobody to review the judge's decision, including VA Secretary Bob McDonald.
> 
> The law "vests a federal employee with the final authority -- unreviewable by any politically accountable officer of the executive branch -- to determine whether to uphold the removal of a [VA] senior executive, which includes the power to overrule the decision of a cabinet-level officer," Lynch wrote in a letter to Republican leadership in the House.  Lynch said the Justice Department will no longer defend the law in court against Helman and other challengers. But the Justice Department will continue to defend against the other constitutional violations charged in Helman's federal lawsuit.
> 
> MORE


----------



## JakeStarkey

Thank Bush for the back log in the increase of vets for starters.

The VA does a fairly good job compared to the private sector.

Allow vets to go to private vendors, who negotiate with the VA for payment.

Problem fixed.


----------



## JakeStarkey

Edgetho above is the exception that proves the rule that VA care is decent.


----------



## ThunderKiss1965

editec said:


> And some people want the Government to take over our Healthcare when they can't even handle Veterans?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have VA health care, lad.
> 
> It's great.
> 
> Far better HC service than I ever got in the private sector.
> 
> Perhaps you just don't know what the fuck you're talking about?
Click to expand...

Thats not my experience.


----------



## ThunderKiss1965

JakeStarkey said:


> Thank Bush for the back log in the increase of vets for starters.
> 
> The VA does a fairly good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> Allow vets to go to private vendors, who negotiate with the VA for payment.
> 
> Problem fixed.


Except.
Veterans Choice health care program faces continuing challenges


----------



## ThunderKiss1965

Moonglow said:


> OriginalShroom said:
> 
> 
> 
> And some people want the Government to take over our Healthcare when they can't even handle Veterans?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ?Decades old problem? exacerbates benefits backlog for veterans ? MSNBC
> 
> 
> The Department of Veterans Affairs has been scrambling to fix its backlog, which has reached 584,308 claims that have been pending for 125 days or more. About 873,680 veterans have filed claims and that number continues to grow.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The VA has taken care of my health better than when I had health coverage at work in the civilian world...
Click to expand...

Not my experience. Waiting a month sometimes longer for an appointment. Can't get intouch with my primary. An emergency room vist with a wait time of hours.


----------



## JakeStarkey

ThunderKiss1965 said:


> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank Bush for the back log in the increase of vets for starters.
> 
> The VA does a fairly good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> Allow vets to go to private vendors, who negotiate with the VA for payment.
> 
> Problem fixed.
> 
> 
> 
> Except.
> Veterans Choice health care program faces continuing challenges
Click to expand...

Yes, it does, but the VA does a good job compared to the private sector.

I have had outstanding care from VA for almost twenty-five years now and have little complaint, particularly when comparing it to private care.

Wait times: normally three to ten minutes.  I once had to wait 45 minutes because an emergency had occurred in the Blue Clinic, as an old duffer went into cardiac arrest during a regular visit with his doctor.


----------



## ThunderKiss1965

JakeStarkey said:


> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank Bush for the back log in the increase of vets for starters.
> 
> The VA does a fairly good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> Allow vets to go to private vendors, who negotiate with the VA for payment.
> 
> Problem fixed.
> 
> 
> 
> Except.
> Veterans Choice health care program faces continuing challenges
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yes, it does, but the VA does a good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> I have had outstanding care from VA for almost twenty-five years now and have little complaint, particularly when comparing it to private care.
> 
> Wait times: normally three to ten minutes.  I once had to wait 45 minutes because an emergency had occurred in the Blue Clinic, as an old duffer went into cardiac arrest during a regular visit with his doctor.
Click to expand...

You are talking about a scheduled  appointment. I'm talking about waiting to get an appointment. I'm curious as to  when and where you served.


----------



## Moonglow

ThunderKiss1965 said:


> Moonglow said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> OriginalShroom said:
> 
> 
> 
> And some people want the Government to take over our Healthcare when they can't even handle Veterans?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ?Decades old problem? exacerbates benefits backlog for veterans ? MSNBC
> 
> 
> The Department of Veterans Affairs has been scrambling to fix its backlog, which has reached 584,308 claims that have been pending for 125 days or more. About 873,680 veterans have filed claims and that number continues to grow.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The VA has taken care of my health better than when I had health coverage at work in the civilian world...
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Not my experience. Waiting a month sometimes longer for an appointment. Can't get intouch with my primary. An emergency room visit with a wait time of hours.
Click to expand...

Have you activated your account on MYHEALTHVET.com? My team gets a hold of me on the same day...But not every VA is the same..Also have you received your card for outside VA care? To get a doctor outside does take a while, but I have learned that phone lobbying does increase the speed of authorization time..
Even a regular doctor takes time to see and a regual hospital still has wait times determined by the degree of your need...


----------



## JakeStarkey

ThunderKiss1965 said:


> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank Bush for the back log in the increase of vets for starters.
> 
> The VA does a fairly good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> Allow vets to go to private vendors, who negotiate with the VA for payment.
> 
> Problem fixed.
> 
> 
> 
> Except.
> Veterans Choice health care program faces continuing challenges
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yes, it does, but the VA does a good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> I have had outstanding care from VA for almost twenty-five years now and have little complaint, particularly when comparing it to private care.
> 
> Wait times: normally three to ten minutes.  I once had to wait 45 minutes because an emergency had occurred in the Blue Clinic, as an old duffer went into cardiac arrest during a regular visit with his doctor.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> You are talking about a scheduled  appointment. I'm talking about waiting to get an appointment. I'm curious as to  when and where you served.
Click to expand...


So your scheduled appointment waits are OK? 

Houston, Shreveport, Salt Lake City and some outpatient clinics, among others.

I have always been able to see someone as necessary, which has been very rare for me.


----------



## ThunderKiss1965

JakeStarkey said:


> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank Bush for the back log in the increase of vets for starters.
> 
> The VA does a fairly good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> Allow vets to go to private vendors, who negotiate with the VA for payment.
> 
> Problem fixed.
> 
> 
> 
> Except.
> Veterans Choice health care program faces continuing challenges
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yes, it does, but the VA does a good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> I have had outstanding care from VA for almost twenty-five years now and have little complaint, particularly when comparing it to private care.
> 
> Wait times: normally three to ten minutes.  I once had to wait 45 minutes because an emergency had occurred in the Blue Clinic, as an old duffer went into cardiac arrest during a regular visit with his doctor.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> You are talking about a scheduled  appointment. I'm talking about waiting to get an appointment. I'm curious as to  when and where you served.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> So your scheduled appointment waits are OK?
> 
> Houston, Shreveport, Salt Lake City and some outpatient clinics, among others.
> 
> I have always been able to see someone as necessary, which has been very rare for me.
Click to expand...

The fucking problem is waiting months for a doctors appointment. You are an exception to all the other Vets out their that have gotten nothing but BS from the VA.


----------



## JakeStarkey

ThunderKiss1965 said:


> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank Bush for the back log in the increase of vets for starters.
> 
> The VA does a fairly good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> Allow vets to go to private vendors, who negotiate with the VA for payment.
> 
> Problem fixed.
> 
> 
> 
> Except.
> Veterans Choice health care program faces continuing challenges
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yes, it does, but the VA does a good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> I have had outstanding care from VA for almost twenty-five years now and have little complaint, particularly when comparing it to private care.
> 
> Wait times: normally three to ten minutes.  I once had to wait 45 minutes because an emergency had occurred in the Blue Clinic, as an old duffer went into cardiac arrest during a regular visit with his doctor.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> You are talking about a scheduled  appointment. I'm talking about waiting to get an appointment. I'm curious as to  when and where you served.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> So your scheduled appointment waits are OK?
> 
> Houston, Shreveport, Salt Lake City and some outpatient clinics, among others.
> 
> I have always been able to see someone as necessary, which has been very rare for me.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The fucking problem is waiting months for a doctors appointment. You are an exception to all the other Vets out their that have gotten nothing but BS from the VA.
Click to expand...

That is merely your opinion, nothing more.


----------



## ThunderKiss1965

JakeStarkey said:


> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Except.
> Veterans Choice health care program faces continuing challenges
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, it does, but the VA does a good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> I have had outstanding care from VA for almost twenty-five years now and have little complaint, particularly when comparing it to private care.
> 
> Wait times: normally three to ten minutes.  I once had to wait 45 minutes because an emergency had occurred in the Blue Clinic, as an old duffer went into cardiac arrest during a regular visit with his doctor.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> You are talking about a scheduled  appointment. I'm talking about waiting to get an appointment. I'm curious as to  when and where you served.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> So your scheduled appointment waits are OK?
> 
> Houston, Shreveport, Salt Lake City and some outpatient clinics, among others.
> 
> I have always been able to see someone as necessary, which has been very rare for me.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The fucking problem is waiting months for a doctors appointment. You are an exception to all the other Vets out their that have gotten nothing but BS from the VA.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> That is merely your opinion, nothing more.
Click to expand...

No its not do you ignore the news or what. People have died waiting on the VA. My next appointment is for a MRI on my back this will be the third time I don't know why maybe those idiots think its going to spontaniously heal. Had to wait 2 months for this one.


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## JakeStarkey

ThunderKiss1965 said:


> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, it does, but the VA does a good job compared to the private sector.
> 
> I have had outstanding care from VA for almost twenty-five years now and have little complaint, particularly when comparing it to private care.
> 
> Wait times: normally three to ten minutes.  I once had to wait 45 minutes because an emergency had occurred in the Blue Clinic, as an old duffer went into cardiac arrest during a regular visit with his doctor.
> 
> 
> 
> You are talking about a scheduled  appointment. I'm talking about waiting to get an appointment. I'm curious as to  when and where you served.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> So your scheduled appointment waits are OK?
> 
> Houston, Shreveport, Salt Lake City and some outpatient clinics, among others.
> 
> I have always been able to see someone as necessary, which has been very rare for me.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The fucking problem is waiting months for a doctors appointment. You are an exception to all the other Vets out their that have gotten nothing but BS from the VA.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> That is merely your opinion, nothing more.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> No its not do you ignore the news or what. People have died waiting on the VA. My next appointment is for a MRI on my back this will be the third time I don't know why maybe those idiots think its going to spontaniously heal. Had to wait 2 months for this one.
Click to expand...

You have made a suggestion that the VA is worse than private care.  No it is not.  You cannot prove that because you don't have the numbers or the comparisons for the numbers.  Where are you getting VA care?


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## JakeStarkey

Have you talked to your Patient Rights Advocate at the VA.

Ask at the front help desk where is that office.


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## ThunderKiss1965

JakeStarkey said:


> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JakeStarkey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ThunderKiss1965 said:
> 
> 
> 
> You are talking about a scheduled  appointment. I'm talking about waiting to get an appointment. I'm curious as to  when and where you served.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So your scheduled appointment waits are OK?
> 
> Houston, Shreveport, Salt Lake City and some outpatient clinics, among others.
> 
> I have always been able to see someone as necessary, which has been very rare for me.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The fucking problem is waiting months for a doctors appointment. You are an exception to all the other Vets out their that have gotten nothing but BS from the VA.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> That is merely your opinion, nothing more.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> No its not do you ignore the news or what. People have died waiting on the VA. My next appointment is for a MRI on my back this will be the third time I don't know why maybe those idiots think its going to spontaniously heal. Had to wait 2 months for this one.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> You have made a suggestion that the VA is worse than private care.  No it is not.  You cannot prove that because you don't have the numbers or the comparisons for the numbers.  Where are you getting VA care?
Click to expand...

I've never had to wait three hours in an emergency room in a civilian hospital but the two VA clinics in two different regions I've been to was the exact same problem. Every Vet I know has the same problems I do. Long waits for appointments, canceled appointments, lost paper work, it goes on and on.


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## JakeStarkey

Seems to me you better look in the mirror for the source of your problems.

I have not had problems like that, and I know very few who did have such.

So if you are having problems stop your whining and go talk to the Patients Advocate at your hospital.


----------



## waltky

VA Health Care Still Has 'Profound Deficiencies'...





*Report: VA Health Care Still Has 'Profound Deficiencies'*
_   Jul 06, 2016 | WASHINGTON -- Two years after a scandal over long wait times for veterans seeking health care, the Department of Veterans Affairs still has "profound deficiencies" in delivering health care to millions of veterans, a congressional commission says in a new report._


> The Commission on Care says in a report to be released Wednesday that the VA delivers high-quality health care but is inconsistent from one site to the next, and problems with access remain.  The panel says the VA needs to improve its service to veterans, adding that the VA's health care operations "require urgent reform. America's veterans deserve a better organized, high-performing health care system."  Congress created the 12-member commission in 2014 after approving a landmark law overhauling the VA in the wake of the wait-time scandal, which also revealed that department employees were covering up chronic delays with false paperwork and secret waiting lists. As many as 40 veterans died while awaiting care at the Phoenix VA hospital, according to an investigation by the department's inspector general.
> 
> President Barack Obama said in a statement late Tuesday that the commission's report includes a number of specific proposals that he will review closely in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, "We will continue to work with veterans, Congress and our partners in the veteran advocacy community to further our ongoing transformation of the veterans' health care system," Obama said. "Our veterans deserve nothing less for their sacrifices and their service."  VA Secretary Bob McDonald also hailed the report and said he was pleased to see that many of the panel's recommendations are in line with ongoing efforts to transform the VA into what McDonald calls a "veteran-centric organization."  Work on that effort has been underway for two years and has resulted in increased access to health care and a better experience for veterans, McDonald said.
> 
> In March, the VA set a new record for completed appointments: 5.3 million in hospitals and clinics, 730,000 more than in March 2014. The department also issued twice as many authorizations for government-paid, private care than in a comparable period two years ago, McDonald said.  Nearly 97 percent of appointments are now completed within 30 days of the veteran's preferred date, McDonald said, a huge improvement over past performance.  But the report said the VA has a long way to go and singled out a "Choice Program," authorized by Congress to make it easier for veterans to get private care, as significantly flawed. The report recommends replacing the program with community-based delivery networks that it said should improve access, quality and cost-effectiveness.
> 
> The commission also found that the long-term viability of VA health care is threatened by problems with staffing, facilities, capital needs, information systems and other problems.  Rep. Jeff Miller, a Republican from Florida and chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said the 292-page report "makes it abundantly clear that the problems plaguing Department of Veterans Affairs medical care are severe. Fixing them will require dramatic changes in how VA does business, to include expanding partnerships with community providers in order to give veterans more health care choices."
> 
> Report: VA Health Care Still Has 'Profound Deficiencies' | Military.com



See also:

*VA Stocking Up on Guns, Riot Gear, Tactical Equipment: Report*
_Jul 05, 2016 | The Department of Veterans Affairs bought more than $11 million worth of weapons, ammo and other security equipment between 2005 and 2014, according to a report released last month by a non-profit organization that tracks spending across the federal government._


> The report, called The Militarization of America and published by OpenTheBooks, said the VA acquired a variety of pistols -- Berettas, Sig Sauers, Lugers -- and ammunition, as well as body armor, police batons, ballistic shields, riot shields and helmets, night gun sights, tactical equipment for crowd control and more.  The $11.6 million in weapons and gear includes $200,000 for night vision equipment, $2.3 million on body armor, more than $2 million on pistols and about $3.6 million on ammunition, the report said. A chart included with the report also shows a variety of training weapons and a night gun scope.  The department has 3,700 law enforcement officers guarding and securing VA medical centers.
> 
> The VA didn't respond to Military.com's request for comment, though in a Feb. 17 email to OpenTheBooks, the agency described its police officers as "the front line response forces for our facilities" and said its personnel "receive extensive training in active threat response.  "While VA police work very closely with Federal, local and state law enforcement partners, VA police will be the first to have to deal with any active situation and are well trained accordingly," it stated.  The department is not the only federal agency that has been stockpiling weapons in recent years, presumably against mass shooters and other security threats. The report found that non-military federal agencies spent nearly $1.5 billion on weapons and ammo from 2005 to 2014.
> 
> The report states that the IRS spent $10.7 million on guns, ammo and gear over the same period. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service spent $4.7 million, the Social Security Administration $417,000, and the Department of Education $412,000. The Smithsonian Institution's arms purchases totaled just over $309,000.  The arming of VA security personnel began in 1996 with a pilot program intended to extend firearms and arrest authority to the department's 2,393 officers, the report said. Two years later, only 262 department police officers had the authority to carry a weapon and make arrests.  "However, by 2008, the VA officer corps grew to 3,175 and all were authorized to make arrests and carry firearms," OpenTheBooks' report found. Currently, it said, the VA has more than 3,700 personnel who may carry firearms and make arrests.
> 
> In a swipe at VA over its widely publicized problems with getting veterans in for appointments, the organization said it was "notable [that the arms and equipment] buildup occurred while the VA failed to provide critical care for thousands of veterans who would later on waiting lists."  In its email to the group, the department said the gun purchases relate to a decision in 2008 to have VA police switch to a different firearm. It did not say what VA officers used before then.  "This change has taken place over time in a phased approach. VA facilities began replacing the older pistol as funds became available and pistol service life limits are reached," the VA said. "Most of VA facilities have completed the transition to the new contracted firearm, with several still in that process."  Night vision and other countermeasure equipment were acquired by field facilities to meet their local security and law enforcement needs, according to the department. The VA statement did not detail which facilities required the special gear.
> 
> VA Stocking Up on Guns, Riot Gear, Tactical Equipment: Report | Military.com


----------



## JakeStarkey

Yes, much to be fixed indeed.

However for this veteran I get superb care in Utah and Texas at the VA.


----------



## waltky

Granny says, "Dat's right - the Donald gonna build a wall to keep the jihadis an' Hispexicans out an' he gonna fix the VA...




*Trump Promises to Fix a VA in 'Very Sad Shape'*
_Sep 01, 2016 | Donald Trump became the second presidential nominee in two days to quote Ronald Reagan, promising "peace through strength" if he were to win the presidency.  The Republican presidential nominee addressed a crowd of thousands of veterans at the American Legion National Convention here on Thursday, speaking a day after Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton._


> He told the crowd he planned to negotiate a system for the Veterans Affairs Department that would allow veterans to receive health care in a VA facility or at a private doctor of their choice.  Trump also reiterated his plan to aggressively promote "Americanism," saying he would make sure American students recited the pledge of allegiance.  Clinton invoked Reagan's "shining city on a hill" in her Wednesday address, promising to defend American exceptionalism. Trump continued the theme, saying he would enlist the American Legion's help in promoting American values.  "We will stop apologizing for America and we will start celebrating America," he said. "We will be united by our common culture, values and principles, becoming one American nation. One country under one constitution, saluting one American flag."  Trump's speech, which at 15 minutes was about half as long as Clinton's, limited discussion of veterans' policy to his plan to reform the VA.
> 
> While VA Secretary Robert McDonald told the American Legion on Wednesday that the department hoped to turn a corner in organizational reform this year, Trump said it was in "very sad shape," adding that he had spoken with a number of veterans who had received unsatisfactory care.  Trump said he plans to carry out his VA overhaul by appointing a new secretary and firing anyone who failed to meet standards.  "I'm going to use every lawful authority to remove anyone who fails our veterans and breaches the public trust," he said.  Trump also said he would make sure female veterans got the best possible access to medical care.  "We're going to get you fantastic service. It's going to happen, believe me," he said. "Never again will we allow any veteran to suffer or die waiting for care."  The Republican candidate, who on the previous day delivered a speech in Mexico promising to crack down on illegal immigration, drew applause when he reiterated promises to defend American borders.
> 
> In what appeared to be a pivot from 2015 comments in which he made disparaging many Mexican immigrants as drug smugglers and criminals, Trump praised Mexican Americans for their service in the U.S. military.  "I just came back from a wonderful meeting with the president of Mexico where I expressed my deep respect for the people of his country and for the tremendous contribution of Mexican Americans in our country," he said. "Many are in our armed services. You know how good they are. I want to thank him for his gracious hospitality and express my belief that we can work together and accomplish great things for both our countries."  Trump also received applause when he promised to stop Syrian refugees, many of whom he has characterized as terrorists and extremists, from entering the United States, citing plans to build a safe zone overseas to house them.  "Our country has enough problems," he said.
> 
> Trump Promises to Fix a VA in 'Very Sad Shape' | Military.com


----------



## Moonglow

The head of the VA has been asking Congress for a revamping of the VA, Congress be silent...


----------



## waltky

"I've dealt with extremist politicians like Rep. Jeff Miller long enough not to take his insults personally"...




* Veterans Harmed as Lawmaker Wages Political Vendetta*
_Sep 08, 2016 | J. David Cox Sr. is national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 670,000 federal and District of Columbia government employees nationwide, including 220,000 in the Department of Veterans Affairs. The views expressed in this commentary are his._


> I've dealt with extremist politicians like Rep. Jeff Miller long enough not to take his insults personally ("Opinion: Union Bosses, VA Bosses Rigging System for Failure," Sept. 5).  But after spending 20 years caring for veterans as a psychiatric nurse, and the past decade representing more than 220,000 VA employees across the country, here's one thing I take very personally: our nation's sacred obligation to serve the women and men who have worn the uniform.  Our members take that obligation seriously, too. That's why they were the first to come forward to blow the whistle on VA managers and executives who were falsifying appointment records to hide excessive wait times for veterans seeking care.
> 
> Rather than proposing real solutions to the problem of veterans not getting timely access to care, Rep. Miller chose to exploit the wait list scandal to serve his own political agenda. Miller has introduced a bill that would gut the workforce protections that empowered whistleblowers to come forward in the first place.  Miller's bill is part of a concerted effort by the congressman to strip all federal employees -- not just those at the VA -- of their due process rights, allowing employees to be demoted or fired at will without any protections from partisanship or favoritism.  He also has waged an intense campaign to implement the extreme proposal by the Concerned Veterans for America to privatize the VA and dismantle the patient-centered system that veterans have endorsed time and time again.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Chairman of U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee Rep. Jeff Miller.​
> Miller's obsession with gutting employees' rights and stripping the VA for parts has distracted the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, which he chairs, from focusing on staffing shortages and underfunding issues that, if addressed, stand to make a tremendous difference for the veterans he claims to serve.  Tell me, Congressman Miller, how is silencing health care providers and shutting down VA hospitals going to improve veterans' access to health care?  A far better VA reform bill has the bipartisan support of Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chair Johnny Isakson of Georgia and ranking member Richard Blumenthal.  Even though we do not agree with provisions attacking the due process rights of VA executives, we support his Veterans First Act because it will provide real accountability at the VA without hanging an ax over the heads of honest employees who choose to blow the whistle on mismanagement.
> 
> The Veterans First Act is far from a boondoggle for labor unions, as Rep. Miller suggests -- which is why many employee groups still oppose it. Yet we believe that our veterans deserve quality health care and that they indeed must come first, which this bill would accomplish by empowering VA employees to hold bad managers and opportunist politicians in check.  With its vast network of more than 160 medical centers and 1,000 community-based outpatient clinics across the country, the VA provides its 5.8 million veteran patients the best health care our nation has to offer.  If Congressman Miller would focus on providing the VA with the resources it needs to serve more veterans, instead of scapegoating the very employees who deliver that care, our nation's war heroes would reap the benefits they so justly deserve.
> 
> Veterans Harmed as Lawmaker Wages Political Vendetta | Military.com


----------



## waltky

What they need to do is hire more doctors to see more vets...




*VA Responds to Phoenix Failures with more Funding and Training*
_Oct 15, 2016 | The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Friday that more money, training and employees would be part of an effort to correct the Phoenix VA Health Care System after an inspection found veterans continue to suffer with long waits for appointments with specialists._


> The Phoenix VA was at the center of a scandal in 2014, when it was discovered veterans died while waiting for care. Staff had manipulated wait-time data there and at other VA hospitals across the United States.  After the U.S. government poured billions of dollars into reform efforts in following years, 215 patients died while waiting for treatment at the Phoenix VA, according to a report released Oct. 4 by the VA's Office of Inspector General. One patient was unable to see a VA cardiologist, which "may have contributed" to his death, the report stated.  "The sustained and continued improvement of the Phoenix VA Health Care System is a department priority," VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson said in a news release. "There are best practices and expertise from across the nation that we are bringing to bear in order to deliver more consistent, high-quality care to veterans."
> 
> The VA announced it would allocate $28 million to the Phoenix VA in addition to its annual budget. Most of the funds will be used to hire more employees, said VA Press Secretary Victoria Dillon.  Leadership at the Phoenix VA is attempting to open two new facilities in early 2017, expanding its number of community-based clinics from seven to nine.  "One of the big challenges in Phoenix was not enough medical center staff, doctors and nurses, and not enough clinical space," Dillon said.  They're also providing more training on scheduling medical appointments. All new employees will be required to take a two-week course, while current employees will go through a three-day course, according to the release.
> 
> The inspector general's office has issued a half-dozen reports in the past two years citing ongoing problems in Phoenix, despite new VA policies and increased training in scheduling appointments, the new report stated.  Inspectors found the number of active patient cases in Phoenix had grown from 32,500 in March to 38,000 by July. The additional cases were caused partly by staff not scheduling patient's appointments in a timely manner, according to inspectors.  "As a result, patients attempting to get care at [the Phoenix VA] continued to encounter delays in obtaining such care," the report read. "We substantiated that one patient waited in excess of 300 days for vascular care."
> 
> Several lawmakers reacted to the findings, including Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs; Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., who is running against McCain in the November election.  "More than two years after the Phoenix VA Health Care System became ground zero for VA's wait-time scandal, many of its original problems remain, and this report is proof of that sad fact," Miller said in a written statement. "...it's clear veterans are still dying while waiting for care, that delays may have contributed to the recent death of at least one veteran and the work environment in Phoenix is marred by confusion and dysfunction."
> 
> MORE


----------



## waltky

VA screwin' over Gulf War Vets with Brain Cancer...

*Gulf War Vets with Brain Cancer Denied Fast-Track to Compensation*
_Nov 19, 2016 | Hundreds of veterans with terminal brain cancer and their families were close to being fast-tracked toward millions of dollars in government benefits and compensation -- before a White House decision this fall prevented it._


> The White House denied a recommendation from the Department of Veterans Affairs that would establish a connection between brain cancer and service in the Persian Gulf War, fast-tracking VA benefits and compensation. As it stands, veterans and families have the burden of proving the connection - a process that can take years and require hundreds of pages of military and medical records.  "What it means is years more of struggling," said Ron Brown, president of the National Gulf War Resource Center. "I just find that unacceptable. It's like leaving veterans and their families behind."
> 
> 'An extreme burden'
> 
> Laura Edwards, 54, knows the struggle of trying to obtain VA benefits.  After a recent phone conversation with a VA representative, she felt so frazzled she "couldn't remember my own phone number," she said.  Her husband, retired U.S. Air Force Sgt. 1st Class David Edwards, died at 53 of glioblastoma -- a form of brain cancer -- in 2013.  In the conversation with the VA that November morning, she had attempted to take another small step in a years-long process to prove her husband's brain cancer was a result of his service in the Persian Gulf War.  "It's really stressful," she said. "It's a real sappy, horrible day."  In 2015, the VA established a work group to decide whether there was a clear connection between brain cancer and servicemembers in Southwest Asia in 1990 and 1991, when troops were exposed to hazards such as oil-well fires and nerve agents.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> An American servicemember tends a burn pit in the Saudi Arabian desert in 1991.​
> David Edwards had worked on generators at U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia with the 323rd Civil Engineering Squadron. Her late husband used to talk about the chemical alarms going off at the bases, Laura Edwards said, and he said their superiors told them the alarms were false.  Later, studies would show that in some cases wind carried nerve agents from Khamisiyah in southern Iraq, triggering the alarms.  Laura Edwards, now living alone in small Warrensburg, Mo., submitted her first claim to the VA in 2014 but it was quickly denied.  According to a copy of that denial letter, she didn't provide enough supporting evidence.  She has struggled, even with help from Brown and a local veterans service officer. In the ongoing effort to make her case, Edwards recently arranged the exchange of about 170 pages of medical records.
> 
> If the VA determines that Edwards' death stemmed from his service, Laura Edwards would be eligible for dependency and indemnity compensation. Those payments go to survivors of veterans whose deaths resulted from a service-related injury or disease.  The current basic monthly payment is set at $1,254.19, or about $15,000 annually. For each child under 18, $310.71 is added to the payment.  Brown, a Gulf War veteran, served with three men in the 1st Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, who were later diagnosed with brain cancer, he said. As president of the National Gulf War Resource Center, he's heard from spouses, including Edwards, asking for help to qualify for compensation.  "It's very hard; there have been a very small number of veterans who have been successful at it," Brown said. "It places an extreme burden on the families."
> 
> *Lacking evidence*


----------



## JakeStarkey

"It was felt that at this time the data, the evidence are just not strong enough to really support a presumption," he said. "In the end, the decision was made by the executive branch that we need to do more research."


----------



## waltky

Feds lookin' into Congress' Claims VA Lied About Hospital Costs...




*FBI Looks into Congress' Claims VA Lied About Hospital Costs*
_Dec 14, 2016  — The Justice Department is considering whether to investigate allegations that Veterans Affairs Department executives lied to Congress to conceal massive cost overruns at a $1.7 billion VA hospital under construction outside Denver._


> The FBI's Washington field office is reviewing the allegations, the Justice Department said in a letter to Congress. The letter was dated Dec. 9 and made public Tuesday.  The FBI is part of the Justice Department.  Lawmakers accuse VA executives of lying when they testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee in 2013 and 2014 about the cost of the hospital in suburban Aurora. The current projected price tag is nearly triple the 2014 estimate.  The VA declined to comment on the lawmakers' allegations. In a written statement, the department said it has already acknowledged mistakes on the project and made changes to its construction practices.
> 
> A bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers on the Veterans Affairs Committee asked for an investigation in September. The request came after the VA's internal watchdog office said Glenn Haggstrom, formerly the department's top official in charge of construction projects, knew the hospital cost was soaring but didn't tell Congress.  The lawmakers also asked the Justice Department to look into congressional testimony by Stella Fiotes, director of the VA's Office of Construction and Facilities Management.  Neither Haggstrom nor Fiotes immediately return phone messages Tuesday.  Haggstrom and Fiotes told the committee that no cost overruns were expected and that the project would be finished at or near its budget of about $604 million, according to transcribed excerpts from the committee.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A construction crew works on concrete forms at the Veterans Administration hospital complex construction site, in Aurora, Colo.​
> Haggstrom retired in 2015, one day after he was questioned by VA officials about what went wrong, department officials have said.  Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said the Justice Department should investigate the two officials' testimony.  "This case is a slam dunk, and it's imperative for Department of Justice officials to ensure justice is served," Miller said in a written statement.  "It is an absolute fact that numerous VA officials repeatedly misled Congress regarding cost overruns," he said.
> 
> Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., a member of the committee, also said the FBI should investigate.  "If they don't, and there are no consequences for federal officials of the executive branch to lie when they're under oath, then Congress simply cannot exercise its oversight," he said.  Investigations into the hospital project have said mismanagement, delays and lax oversight by the VA added hundreds of millions of dollars to the cost and delayed it by years.  Construction on the 184-bed facility is expected to be done in January 2018. It will replace an aging, overcrowded facility still in use in Denver.
> 
> FBI Looks into Congress' Claims VA Lied About Hospital Costs | Military.com


----------



## waltky

VA Disability Claims Backlog Still Growing...




*VA Disability Claims Backlog Grows Despite Paperless Fix*
_Feb 14, 2017 | The VA's new electronic system for processing disability claims has faced initial problems in reducing backlogs_


> Officials from the Veterans Affairs Department were pressed Tuesday to explain how the paperless fix to the disability claims process has initially resulted in growing backlogs.  The claims backlog stood at about 76,000 last May before the VA solution called the National Work Queue was fully implemented, but the backlog last week was at 101,000 cases, said Rep. Mike Bost, an Illinois Republican and chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
> 
> At a hearing of the panel, Ronald S. Burke Jr., the VA assistant deputy secretary for Field Operations National Work Queue, didn't dispute Bost's numbers but said one of the problems is that "this is a relatively new initiative."  Willie C. Clark Sr., deputy under secretary for Field Operations, said the new system has improved efficiency for veterans and the result is that "they submit more claims."  The queue was described by Thomas J. Murphy, acting under secretary for benefits at the Veterans Benefits Administration, as an electronic records system "to ensure veterans receive a more timely decision on their disability compensation claims."
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Claims piled up at the VA Regional Office in Winston-Salem, N.C.​
> With the technology, the VA now has the ability to shift overloads in the system from one regional VA office to another. "This new environment allows VA the flexibility to move claims around the country that have the capacity to take the next action on a veteran's claim," Murphy said.  "On its face, this is common sense," Bost said. "NWQ allows VA to distribute its workload evenly across the nation to reduce waiting times for veterans who file claims for benefits. However, there are some concerns about whether NWQ is actually performing as it should."  The claims backlog was at about 99,000 cases as of Tuesday, Murphy said, and he acknowledged that "we're never going to get to zero. That's not going to happen."
> 
> Some claims, particularly those involving radiation disability, simply take more time, and it would "not be the right thing to do" for the veteran to speed up the process, he said.  Rep. Elizabeth Esty, a Connecticut Democrat and the acting ranking member on the subcommittee, said she is concerned that the electronic system allows too many VA claims processors to become involved, or have "touches," on a particular case.  Burke said that a claim in the new system normally involves five or six involvements by processors.  "We need to reduce the number," Esty said.
> 
> MORE



See also:

* Bill Would Expand Access to National Parks for Disabled Vets*
_Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Sen. Susan Collins have introduced a bill to expand access to national parks for disabled veterans._


> The bill would make all veterans with a service-connected disability eligible for a free, lifetime pass allowing entry to the parks and other recreational lands and waters held by the United States.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Grand Teton National Park​
> Shaheen, a Democrat, and Collins, a Republican, said under a 2004 law, individuals must be permanently disabled in order to be eligible for a free pass, creating uncertainty on whether all wounded veterans have access to the program. The new bill clarifies the language.
> 
> Bill Would Expand Access to National Parks for Disabled Vets | Military.com


----------



## waltky

Waits longer than 30 days for medical care...




*Report: VA Inaccurately Tracking Veteran Wait Times in N.C., Va.*
_7 Mar 2017 | WASHINGTON — Thousands of veterans in the Mid-Atlantic region waited longer than 30 days for medical care at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities last year but were excluded from private-sector treatment due to errors in VA wait-time data, government inspectors have found._


> The VA inspector general's office issued a report Thursday detailing wait times for veterans at 12 facilities in North Carolina and Virginia that stretched beyond the 30-day goal established by the VA. Because of inaccuracies in tracking how long veterans waited for an appointment, inspectors estimated approximately 13,800 veterans attempting to get an appointment at those facilities should've been granted the option of private-sector care but were not.  When veterans were referred to the private sector through the Veterans Choice Program, they still faced delays, the report states. Inspectors estimated 82 percent of appointments made through program from April 2016 to January 2017 in those states had wait times longer than 30 days.
> 
> The report identified ongoing problems similar to ones discovered in 2014, when the VA was rocked by news of veterans suffering long delays for medical care.  "VA data reliability continues to be a high-risk area," Assistant Inspector General Larry Reinkemeyer wrote in the report. "[The Office of Inspector General] has reported that access to health care has been a recurring issue in [the Veterans Health Administration] for over a decade. This audit demonstrates that many of the same access to care conditions reported over the last decade continued to exist… in 2016."
> 
> The inspector general's report found 33 percent of primary care appointments had wait times longer than 30 days, but VA records showed only 17 percent faced delays that long. For mental health care, inspectors determined 16 percent waited longer than 30 days, though VA records showed 5 percent did.  Inspectors found 39 percent of specialty care appointments had wait times longer than 30 days, but the VA scheduling system showed only 8 percent.  Errors were made when staff entered "incorrect" or "unsupported" information that "made it appear as though the wait time was 30 days or less," the report states.
> 
> The report gave one example of a veteran requesting a mental health care appointment in July 2015 and not receiving an appointment until Nov. 20 of that year. A scheduler marked Nov. 20 as the veteran's preferred appointment date, so VA records reflect a zero-day wait.  VA Secretary David Shulkin was undersecretary for health at the time of the inspector general's review. In a written response to the report, he said the VA had made "tremendous strides" since the review was conducted, including faster access to veterans needing urgent care needs, more overall medical appointments and new rules for schedulers.  Shulkin has recently acknowledged issues with access to care, and with the Veterans Choice Program. He will testify before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on Tuesday during a hearing on the future of the program.
> 
> MORE



See also:

*2 Vets Win Agent Orange Exposure Cases from Okinawa*
_   6 Mar 2017 | There have long been rumors that Agent Orange was stored or used on Okinawa, but no one has been able to find proof.  Now two servicemembers who served on the Japanese island during the Vietnam War era have won court cases claiming they developed ailments from exposure to the toxic defoliant._


> Judges in the separate lawsuits cited specific diseases that have been linked to Agent Orange and a lack of proof that the chemical compound wasn't on Okinawa, based on a two-year gap in records and other evidence.  The judges were careful to limit their rulings to the specific cases, likely to avoid opening the door for hundreds of former servicemembers to seek class-action status for physical problems that may be linked to Agent Orange.  Pentagon officials referred requests for comment to the Department of Veterans Affairs, which declined to answer questions or discuss how many similar cases there have been in recent years.
> 
> Each case is heard on its own merits, the agency said in a statement to Stars and Stripes.  "VA can grant a claim and award disability compensation if there is evidence of a current disability, an in-service exposure, and a medical nexus or link between the in-service exposure and the subsequent development of the illness," the statement said. "VA has no credible evidence of Agent Orange use, storage, testing, or transportation in Okinawa, and thus no evidence to support claims of exposure to Agent Orange during military service in Okinawa."
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Former Marine lieutenant colonel Kris Roberts and dozens of men under his command came into contact with more than 100 leaking barrels that were unearthed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, in 1981.​
> The U.S. military began using plant-killing chemicals called herbicides in the 1950s to defoliate military facilities.  Agent Orange is a blend of "tactical herbicides," according to the VA's website, that was used in Korea to deprive the enemy of cover and in Vietnam to defoliate jungles and kill crops. The toxic mixture has been blamed for a slew of veterans' health problems, from cancers to heart disease, and has been known to cause birth defects in the offspring of those exposed.
> 
> The military discontinued use of Agent Orange in 1970, and veterans have battled the VA for benefits regarding exposure ever since. The VA has recognized the claims of some veterans who served in Vietnam, Korea, Thailand, on some ships and in some aircraft, while denying others. Guam and Japan -- most notably Okinawa -- have been left off the list despite claims.  In January, Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate claims made by U.S. military veterans who served there in the 1960s and '70s that Agent Orange was sprayed on the island. That investigation is ongoing.
> 
> *Disability awarded*


----------



## waltky

Tragic paralyzed vet death...




*Paralyzed Army Vet Bled from Feet, Found Dead in Wheelchair*
_18 Apr 2017 — Virginia authorities are investigating the death of an Army veteran, paralyzed from the waist down, who was found early Monday._


> Virginia authorities are investigating the death of an Army veteran, paralyzed from the waist down, who was found early Monday in a wheelchair outside his apartment complex.  Paul Chisholm, 38, showed no signs of trauma other than to his feet, which apparently dragged under his wheelchair, leaving a trail of blood from his apartment, Goochland County Sheriff Jim Agnew said. The blood pooled outside other apartment doors, where he may have sought help.  A newspaper carrier found his body.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> U.S. Army vet Paul Chisholm​
> Chisholm's mother said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was medically discharged after he was injured in Afghanistan, where he served with the 101st Airborne. After returning from Afghanistan, he was struck by a car, leaving him paralyzed from the upper chest down, Alice Farley said.  She described her son as a sweet, thoughtful person who played piano by ear, loved to fish and appreciated a good haircut.  "It's a really tragic time for the family," Farley told The Associated Press on Monday evening.
> 
> Army service records show he received six awards during just over two years of service.  Agnew said the sheriff's office is not looking for any suspects. The medical examiner was working to determine how Chisholm died.  Farley said she had no idea what happened to Chisholm.  "It's all speculation right now," she said. "The family is waiting to hear, ourselves."
> 
> Paralyzed Army Vet Bled from Feet, Found Dead in Wheelchair | Military.com



See also:

*VA Tests Partnership with CVS to Reduce Veterans' Wait Times*
_18 Apr 2017 | WASHINGTON — Some ailing veterans can now use their federal health care benefits at CVS "MinuteClinics" to treat minor illnesses and injuries, under a pilot program announced Tuesday by the Department of Veterans Affairs._


> The new program, currently limited to the Phoenix area, comes three years after the VA faced allegations of chronically long wait times at its centers, including its Phoenix facility, which treats about 120,000 veterans.  The Phoenix pilot program is a test-run by VA Secretary David Shulkin who is working on a nationwide plan to reduce veterans' wait times.  Veterans would not be bound by current restrictions under the VA's Choice program, which limits outside care to those who have been waiting more than 30 days for an appointment or have to drive more than 40 miles to a facility. Instead, Phoenix VA nurses staffing the medical center's help line will be able to refer veterans to MinuteClinics for government-paid care when "clinically appropriate."
> 
> Shulkin has made clear he'd like a broader collaboration of "integrated care" nationwide between the VA and private sector in which veterans have wider access to private doctors. But, he wants the VA to handle all scheduling and "customer service" — something that veterans groups generally support but government auditors caution could prove unwieldy and expensive.  On Wednesday, President Donald Trump plans to sign legislation to temporarily extend the $10 billion Choice program until its money runs out, pending the administration's plan due out by fall. That broader plan would have to be approved by Congress.  "Our number one priority is getting veterans' access to care when and where they need it," said Baligh Yehia, the VA's deputy undersecretary for health for community care. "The launch of this partnership will enable VA to provide more care for veterans in their neighborhoods."
> 
> Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a long-time advocate of veterans' expanded access to private care, lauded the new initiative as an "important step forward."  "Veterans in need of routine health care services should not have to wait in line for weeks to get an appointment when they can visit community health centers like MinuteClinic to receive timely and convenient care," he said.  The current Choice program was developed after the 2014 scandal in Phoenix in which some veterans died, yet the program has often encountered long waits of its own. The bill being signed by Trump seeks to alleviate some of the problems by helping speed up VA payments and promote greater sharing of medical records. Shulkin also has said he wants to eliminate Choice's 30-day, 40 mile restrictions, allowing the VA instead to determine when outside care is "clinically needed."
> 
> MORE


----------



## waltky

Veterans Waiting 60 Days or More for New Appointments at 30 Locations...

*VA Secretary: Veterans Waiting 60 Days or More for New Appointments at 30 Locations*
_May 31, 2017  - Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Wednesday that while the VA has significantly improved access to care for veterans, there's still more work to be done with veterans waiting 60 days or more for new appointments at 30 of its locations nationwide._


> The VA is providing same-day service in all of its medical centers with over 22 percent of veterans seen on a same day basis.  "We've done a significant job in improving access to care for clinically urgent veterans, so people with clinically urgent needs are now being addressed in a much more efficient way. We've developed same day services in every one of our 168 medical centers for primary care and mental health. In fact,  today over 22 percent of veterans are seen on a same-day basis," Shulkin said.
> 
> Furthermore, in an effort of transparency, the VA has posted its wait times for all to see - something no other health system has done.  "What we've done recently is we've posted our wait times for every single one of our medical centers across the country in a public forum for everybody to see what's good and what's not good in terms of wait times. There is no other health system in the country that has done anything like that, and there is no comparison to what the VA's doing in terms of transparency and wait times. Yet, veterans are waiting 60 days or more for new appointments in primary care and mental health at 30 of our locations nationwide. So we still have more to do,"  Shulkin said.
> 
> There's still work to be done in the area of community care, specifically with follow-up visits and paying providers.  "And while as I mentioned, we've done well with meeting the urgent needs of veterans, 10 percent of the time when a provider wants a follow-up appointment in a specific time frame, we're not meeting that provider's clinically assessed time for a veteran to come back, and that's something we have to address," Shulkin said.  "Sixteen percent of our primary care clinics are over 100 percent capacity. When that happens, we can't fully meet their needs in terms of access to care. 10 percent of our outpatient centers do not offer same-day service today. Now we are committing by the end of this year that all of our outpatient centers will offer same-day services and primary care mental health, but today 10 percent are not meeting that," he said.  "We have 500,000 community care providers … who participate in our network, but providers are increasingly frustrated with the VA's ability to get them payments to the point that some of them are actually leaving our network, and that's obviously working against us," Shulkin said.  "It takes more than 30 days to process 20 percent of our clean claims at VA, and that affects about 25,000 providers across the country. In addition, we have about $50 million in outpatient bill charges that are six months or older. As of April this year, only 65 percent of our claims are handled electronically," he said.  "That's far below what you'd find in the private sector, and so we need private sector help in order to find new solutions to get that number well above 65 percent, so we can have faster adjudication of payments to our community providers," Shulkin added.
> 
> In terms of quality of care, the VA identified 14 medical centers with 1 Star Ratings, meaning they are below the community standard of care.  To date, over 90,000 disability claims are taking more than 125 days to process. The goal is to cut this time in half over the next two years. The VA has initiated the Decision Ready Claims process to move toward a paperless process for claims to shorten the disability and appeals backlog process.
> 
> VA Secretary: Veterans Waiting 60 Days or More for New Appointments at 30 Locations



See also:

*VA Secretary 'Interested' in Looking at Benefits of Medical Marijuana Use Among Veterans*
_May 31, 2017  - Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Wednesday that there may be evidence that medical marijuana may be helpful in reducing the suicide problem among the nation's veterans, but until federal law changes, the VA won't "be able to prescribe marijuana for conditions that may be helpful."_


> During a White House press conference, Shulkin was asked about an op-ed that leaders of the American Legion wrote last week suggesting that increased medical marijuana use could be "a promising solution" to combat the suicide problem among veterans.  When asked whether Congress should reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to allow for it to be better used for medical purposes, Shulkin said, "I believe that everything that could help veterans should be debated by Congress and by medical experts, and we will implement that law, so if there is compelling evidence that this is helpful, I hope the people take a look at that and come up with the right decision, and then we will implement that."
> 
> When asked what his opinion is as a physician, Shulkin said, "My opinion is, is that some of the states that have put in appropriate controls, there may be some evidence that this is beginning to be helpful, and we're interested in looking at that and learning from that, but until time that federal law changes, we are not able to be able to prescribe medical marijuana for conditions that may be helpful."
> 
> The American Legion requested a meeting with the White House to discuss clearing the way for clinical research in medical marijuana use, according to Politico.  American Legion's National Director of Veteran Affairs and Rehabilitation Louis Celli said the Legion is not asking for marijuana to be legalized.  "There is overwhelming evidence that it has been beneficial for some vets. The difference is that it is not founded in federal research because it has been illegal," Politico quoted Celli as saying.
> 
> VA Secretary 'Interested' in Looking at Benefits of Medical Marijuana Use Among Veterans


----------



## waltky

But will it speed up wait times?...




*VA Switching to Same Electronic Health Records System as DoD*
_June 6, 2017 | Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin announced Monday that the VA will be switching to electronic health records and adopting the same electronic health records system as the Department of Defense._


> “Having an electronic health record that can follow a veteran during the course of his health, and treatment is one of the most important things I believe you can do to ensure the safety and the health and well-being of a veteran, so that's why this is so important,” Shulkin said.  The secretary said the VA will be moving away from its “internal product to an off-the-shelf commercial product.”  “I told Congress recently that I was committed that VA would get out of the software development business; that I did not see a compelling reason why being in the software development business was good for veterans, and because of that, I made a decision to move away from our internal product to an off-the-shelf commercial product,” he said.
> 
> “As you may know, almost all of our veterans get to us from one place, and that's the Department of Defense,” Shulkin said. He was able to “trace back at least 17 years of congressional calls and commission reports” calling on the VA to modernize its system and also work closer with the DoD.  “But actually, to this date, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have gone separate ways.  We each have separate systems, and each are supporting separate electronic systems, and while we've been able to advance interoperability at the cost of hundreds of millions of dollars to the taxpayers, today we still have separate systems that do not allow for the seamless transfer of information,” he said.
> 
> Shulkin said as of now, the VA and DOD are able to “reach each other’s records right now.”  “That's called interoperability, or at least that's our certification, but what you're not able to do is actually work together to plan a treatment, to be able to go back and forth between the Department of Defense and VA, and so we've not been able to obtain that to this point,” he said.  That’s why Shulkin decided that the VA will adopt the same electronic health record as the DoD so that they will have “a single system” known as “the MHS GENESIS system, which, at its core, is Cerner Millennium.”  The benefits of having a single system are that it will “allow all patient data to reside in a common system so you will have this seamless link between the departments without the manual or electronic exchange of information,” he said.
> 
> The DoD took about 26 months to implement its electronic medical records system back in 2014. “I will tell you, in government terms, that's actually a pretty efficient process.  I don't think we can wait that long when it comes to the health of our veterans,” Shulkin said.  Shulkin said he’s not willing to put off the decision for the VA any longer.  “And so under my authority as the secretary of VA, I am acting to essentially do a direct acquisition of the EHR currently being deployed by the Department of Defense that will be across the entire VA enterprise. That's going to allow the seamless health care for veterans and the qualified beneficiaries,” he said.  “Once again, because of the health of our veterans, I’ve decided that we're going to go directly into the DOD process for the next generation electronic health record,” Shulkin said.
> 
> VA Secretary: VA Switching to Same Electronic Health Records System as DoD


----------



## Camp

So, veterans health care is getting worse under trump, but the promises for improvement are getting bigger?


----------



## JakeStarkey

Heath care under VA has improved dramatically since Bush's admin and is improving under Trump's.  Let's not lose the forest focusing on individual trees.


----------



## waltky

Choice out, CARE about to be in place...




*Congress Gets Plan to Replace VA ‘Choice’ with ‘CARE’ Plan*
_June 9, 2017 - Military Update: The nation’s largest veteran groups joined key senators Wednesday to endorse conditionally a plan from VA Secretary (Dr.) David J. Shulkin to replace the unpopular 2014 VA Choice program, which critics contend often has failed to provide timely access to private sector care when VA healthcare isn’t readily available._


> However, veteran groups adamantly oppose VA’s plan to fund the Choice replacement plan by cutting disability compensation paid through the Individual Unemployability (IU) program to 208,000 severely disabled veterans, those ages 62 and older who also are eligible for at least minimum social security benefits.  In testimony before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Shulkin unveiled his replacement for Choice, titled the Veterans Coordinated Access and Rewarding Experiences (CARE) Program. CARE would have the familiar features of a managed care program, with VA healthcare providers assigned to patients and deciding, based on clinical needs, whether to treat patients inside VA or refer them to an outside network of private sector care providers under contract to VA.
> 
> VA is asking Congress to scrap the “arbitrary” mandates established under Choice to offer access to private sector healthcare if veterans reside more than 40 miles from a VA hospital, or a VA clinic staffed by a primary care provider, or if they must wait longer than 30 days for access to VA care after seeking an appointment.  Shulkin insisted under intense grilling by Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) that patient choice to seek community care or to stay in VA would be preserved under CARE because, he said, VA care providers wouldn’t be implementing the program properly if they simply mandated the source of care for patients.  Rounds suggested veterans in his rural state finally are seeing the Choice plan work for them, relying now local healthcare providers because they reside more than 40 miles from a VA facility, “which is a lot of South Dakota.”
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If those same veterans are required again to consult with a VA provider, either in person or by phone, to get permission to seek outside care, “it doesn’t sound like it’s a joint decision,” Rounds said.  Shulkin insisted it will be. VA will give guidance to providers to make it so.  “When I treat patients,” said Shulkin, an internist who still sees patients as a VA physician, “I listen to my patients and I understand what their needs are…I think what good doctors and providers do is they recognize it is a joint decision.”  Also, under the CARE plan, if a local VA facility can’t treat a patient, the VA provider would grant permission to use the outside provider network, either inviting the patient to find a community care provider or providing help with a referral.
> 
> Rounds wasn’t persuaded that patients under CARE wouldn’t be pulled back into VA and have to rely again on long trips to VA hospital or clinics. He noted that Congress enacted a law that, starting in 2010, required VA to cover private sector emergency care of veterans enrolled in VA, even if they had other health insurance.  Appellate courts have ruled in the Staab case that VA ignored the law and kept regulations in place that denied emergency care reimbursements to thousands of veterans because they had other health insurance. Many of those treated for emergency conditions not related to their time in service got stuck with hefty bills.  The fact that VA continues to appeal the Staab decision suggests that the department will seek to control community-based healthcare costs, regardless of the impact on patients, Rounds told the VA secretary.
> 
> MORE



See also:

*Police Identify Veteran Found Dead in VA Parking Lot*
_9 Jun 2017 | WASHINGTON -- The man found dead in the parking lot of the Washington Veterans Affairs Medical Center was Navy veteran Woodrow C. Reed._


> The man found dead last month in the parking lot of the Washington Veterans Affairs Medical Center was Navy veteran Woodrow C. Reed, according to police.  Reed was 61 and a resident of Alexandria, Va., said Rachel Reid, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police Department.
> 
> Reed's sister found him in his vehicle at the hospital about 8:30 p.m. on May 16. He had been reported missing May 15 when he didn't return from an appointment at the facility, according to The Associated Press.  The veteran was found "slumped over and unconscious," according to a DC police report. A VA medic pronounced the veteran dead before police arrived, according to the report. The VA chief of police and a VA investigator also responded to the scene.
> 
> The VA and the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs said they are investigating the circumstances of Reed's death.  A medical examiner is still determining the cause of death. The examiner's office could not be reached by phone Thursday.
> 
> Police Identify Veteran Found Dead in VA Parking Lot | Military.com


----------



## waltky

Trump Signs VA Accountability Act...





*Trump Signs VA Accountability Act, Gives Pen to Double-Amputee*
_23 Jun 2017 | President Trump signed the VA Accountability Act on Friday to give the VA more authority to fire poorly performing employees._


> Double-amputee 82nd Airborne Division Sgt. Michael Verardo was at the White House on Friday to attest to the urgent need to hold Veterans Affairs Department employees more accountable for delayed or poor treatment.  With President Donald Trump and Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. David Shulkin looking on, Verardo told an audience of lawmakers and representatives of veterans service organizations of his struggles with the VA system after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2010.
> 
> Verardo said he was prepared for the risks and injuries of combat, but "what I was not prepared for was coming home to a broken VA system. I wasn't prepared to wait 57 days for a signature on a piece of paper so that my prosthetic limb could be repaired."  "I wasn't prepared to make a three-hour round trip so that just last year they could check to see if I still had my serious combat injuries. I wasn't prepared to watch my wife [Sarah] beg, plead and make countless phone calls so that I could receive what was often basic and necessary medical care."  Verardo said he also had to wait three years for the VA to make the promised adaptations to his home in North Carolina to make it handicapped-accessible, "but today is a new day and this administration has fulfilled its promise -- that the veteran is empowered and the veteran is in charge of his or her own care."  Shulkin, noting Verardo went through 111 surgeries in his recovery, said, "It's veterans like Michael who are the reason the VA exists. It was heartbreaking to me to hear his story. He had to jump through one bureaucratic hoop after another," but "I'm pleased to say he's waiting no longer."
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> President Trump gives the pen he signed the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 to Purple Heart recipient Michael Verardo during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House​
> Following his own remarks, Trump signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, empowering Shulkin to bypass existing civil service rules at the VA in the hiring, firing and promotion of employees. Trump then handed the pen to Verardo.  "In just a short time, we've already achieved transformative change at the VA -- and believe me, we're just getting started," the president said. "The enthusiasm for the Veterans Administration and for making it right for our great veterans has been incredible, and I want to thank all of them."  "As you all know all too well, for many years the government failed to keep its promises to our veterans," Trump said. "We all remember the nightmare that veterans suffered during the VA scandals that were exposed a few years ago" at the Phoenix VA Medical Center.  "Veterans were put on secret waitlists, given the wrong medication, given the bad treatments, and ignored in moments of crisis for them. Many veterans died waiting for a simple doctor's appointments. What happened was a national disgrace," he said.  "And yet, some of the employees involved in these scandals remained on the payrolls. Outdated laws kept the government from holding those who failed our veterans accountable," Trump said. "Today, we are finally changing those laws -- wasn't easy, but we did have some fantastic help -- to make sure that the scandal of what we suffered so recently never, ever happens again."
> 
> The Accountability Act, he said, "gives the secretary the authority to remove federal employees who fail and endanger our veterans, and to do so quickly and effectively. It's been a long time since you've heard those words. Those entrusted with the sacred duty of serving our veterans will be held accountable for the care they provide."  "At the same time, this bill protects whistleblowers who do the right thing. We want to reward, cherish, and promote the many dedicated employees at the VA," Trump said.  The bill had the support of the veterans service organizations and the bipartisan support of lawmakers in the House and Senate. "This bill finally corrects the archaic and broken civil service system that has prevented the VA secretary from removing bad actors, and strengthens protections for whistleblowers who are committed to the health and well-being of veterans," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said in a statement.
> 
> MORE


----------



## waltky

Funding for the VA Choice program will run out next month...




*Quick Action Needed From Congress on VA Choice Program*
_10 Jul 2017 | Funding for the VA Choice program will run out next month unless Congress acts._


> Congress is returning this week from the July 4 recess under deadlines for action on an array of budget issues, including authorizing funding for the Veterans Affairs Department's Choice program.  Funding for Choice, which allows veterans flexibility in seeking private health care, will likely run out by Aug. 7 unless lawmakers act to provide a fix, according to VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin.  The department initially proposed paying for Choice with cuts to the Individual Unemployability program, a lifeline to more than 225,000 elderly and disabled vets, but backed off the plan after an uproar from vets and veterans service organizations.
> 
> Currently, the Choice program allows veterans to use private care if they can't get an appointment with the VA within 30 days or they live more than 40 miles from the nearest VA facility. Shulkin has pledged to expand the program and lift some of the restrictions under a revamped Choice program expected to be unveiled later this week.  The new plan would be included in the VA's budget for fiscal 2018, which begins Oct. 1. In his proposed budget, President Donald Trump called for $2.9 billion in new funding for Choice in fiscal 2018 and $3.5 billion in fiscal 2019.  Meanwhile, the VA is faced with funding Choice past Aug. 7, which will leave Congress with only three weeks to act before the traditional August recess.  Shulkin has urged Congress to pass emergency stopgap funding for the Choice program or give him the authority to transfer funds out of other VA accounts. Currently, he cannot transfer funds.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin speaks on April 27 in Washington. His department is taking a more active role in combating drug thefts at VA hospitals.​
> At a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing last month, Shulkin made clear that he will no longer be looking at cuts to the Individual Unemployability program to pay for Choice.  Shulkin said that cuts to IU had been one of several options that the VA had considered to keep funds flowing to Choice and expand the program, but "as I began to listen to veterans and their concerns, it became clear that this would be hurting some veterans."  He said the IU cuts would amount to "a take away from veterans who can't afford to have those benefits taken away. I'm really concerned about that," Shulkin said. "This is part of a process. We have to be looking at ways to do things better, but I am not going to support policies that hurt veterans."
> 
> Veterans currently eligible for the IU benefit have a 60 to 100 percent disability rating through the VA and are unable to secure a job because of their disability. IU allows them to receive the highest compensation rate.  The budget proposal would have removed veterans from the IU program when they reached the minimum age for Social Security. About 225,000 veterans aged 60 or older could have been affected by the cut -- about 7,000 of them over the age of 80.  "It shouldn't have been proposed to begin with," Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander Brian Duffy said of the initial plan to cut IU. "Balancing budgets on the backs of veterans is something the VFW will never tolerate."
> 
> Quick Action Needed From Congress on VA Choice Program | Military.com



See also:

* VA Employee Disciplinary Actions Are Now Public Information*
_8 Jul 2017 | WASHINGTON -- Officials said the list is an attempt at transparency after action by Congress to give the VA secretary new disciplinary power._


> The Department of Veterans Affairs made public Friday a list of employee terminations, demotions and suspensions that it will update weekly, which agency officials said is an attempt at transparency following action by Congress to give the VA secretary unprecedented disciplinary power.  Veterans, and anyone else interested, can now see a list of disciplinary actions taken against VA employees since President Donald Trump took office Jan. 20. The list can be found at va.gov/accountability.  "Veterans and taxpayers have a right to know what we're doing to hold our employees accountable and make our personnel actions transparent," VA Secretary David Shulkin said in written statement. "Posting this information online for all to see, and updating it weekly, will do just that."
> 
> The list, posted online Friday, contained the occupation, VA region, the date and type of disciplinary action for approximately 800 VA employees disciplined since Jan. 20. For privacy reasons, the VA is not posting employees' names.  The initiative is part of the new VA Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection that Trump created in April with an executive order. Navy and Air Force veteran Peter O'Rourke is directing the office and advising Shulkin on the discipline of VA managers and employees.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The seal affixed to the front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington.​
> Shulkin gained more firing authority after Trump signed legislation June 23 establishing more repercussions and a faster firing process for VA employees. Trump, Shulkin, and many veterans and supporters of the legislation said the new rules would allow the VA to root out poor-performing employees and a perceived culture of corruption in the department.  The VA's move to make disciplinary action public information will "shine a light on the actions we're taking to reform the culture at VA," Shulkin said in the statement.  Shulkin also announced Friday that he would require a senior VA official to approve employee settlement agreements of more than $5,000.
> 
> Members of Congress expressed skepticism last year that the VA was overusing employee settlements to silence whistleblowers. A congressional inquiry found the VA had paid $5 million to settle disciplinary action disagreements between July 2014 and September 2016, Federal News Radio reported at the time.  Shulkin said the VA would settle with employees "only when they clearly have been wronged or when settlement is otherwise in veterans' and taxpayers' best interests." "We're changing to a culture of accountability at VA, and this is an important step in that direction," he said.
> 
> VA Employee Disciplinary Actions Are Now Public Information | Military.com


----------



## waltky

VA to Shorten Benefit Enrollment Program Window to Expedite Claims...




*VA to Shorten Benefit Enrollment Program Window to Expedite Claims*
_13 Sep 2017 | Servicemembers will have less time to claim disability compensation before leaving the military but should get benefits faster._


> Servicemembers will have less time to claim disability compensation before leaving the military but should get benefits faster under changes being made by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Starting Oct. 1, troops who want to resolve disability claims before leaving the military must enroll in the "Benefits Delivery at Discharge" program 90 days from separation rather than the current 60 days, the VA announced this month.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A service member shelves patient medical records at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.​
> Quick Start, a program launched in 2008 that allows troops with 59 or fewer days left to begin their claims process, will also end, the VA office at Yongsan Garrison, South Korea, told Stars and Stripes this week.  "The VA's goal is to process disability claims for those leaving active duty so they have a decision on their claim the day after they leave," manager Thomas Gwaltney said.  Late-filed claims mean veterans will be waiting an average of 90 days after separation to get a decision on benefits, he said.  "Many claims are not complete when servicemembers leave active duty," Gwaltney said. "Submitting disability claims between 90 and 180 days before separation will ensure claims can be fully developed."
> 
> Troops enrolling in the benefits program will need to be at their duty station for 45 days after enrolling to make sure they can attend medical exams, said Yongsan VA representative Steve Tucker.  Those who miss the deadline can still file claims through the VA's "eBenefits" program after they leave the military, but might have to wait 18 months for a resolution, he said.  A smarter option is to file a claim while still in uniform, Tucker said.  "By filing here and getting their exams done they can ensure they receive their disability claim right after separating," he said.
> 
> VA to Shorten Benefit Enrollment Program Window to Expedite Claims | Military.com



See also:

* Lawmakers: 'Unreliable' VA Mail Data a Symptom of Larger Issues*
_ 13 Sep 2017 | WASHINGTON -- A House subcommittee criticized the VA for inaccurate and unreliable reporting of how much it spends on mail._


> A House subcommittee criticized the Department of Veterans Affairs on Tuesday for inaccurate and unreliable reporting of how much it spends on mail, which lawmakers contended is a sign of larger management issues at the agency.  The VA reported spending about $355 million on 200 million pieces of mail in 2016 -- making it one of the top spenders on mail in the federal government. But that's not likely to be the true amount, according to a Government Accountability Office report that states VA spending data is "questionable."  "After a look at facility-by-facility data, bizarre and anomalous numbers immediately jumped out, and it begged the question whether anyone had ever reviewed and questioned the information," said Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich., chairman of the oversight and investigations subcommittee of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
> 
> The General Services Administration collects information from all federal agencies about how much they spend on mail. The 2015 and 2016 data from the VA omitted spending totals from most of its 1,055 community-based clinics nationwide, as well as its 300 veterans centers and its National Cemetery Administration, the GAO found. Some data was also inaccurate. Bergman brought up one instance of the Atlanta VA Medical Center in Decatur, Ga., reporting it spent $11,257 to send one package. The VA said the true cost was $112.57, and the error was created when someone misplaced a decimal typing the information into the agency's system.
> 
> Rep. Ann Kuster, D-N.H., the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, said the VA's failure on a "simple and routine" task like recording mail spending information "is a sign of a larger problem."  "VA has outdated systems requiring manual data entry, increasing the chance of human error. Employees lack training they need. Programs lack goals," Kuster said. "I believe this is indicative of a large r problem. VA must examine the root causes."
> 
> John Oswalt, who works in the VA's information technology office, conceded each of the thousands of VA locations across the country have their own practices for reporting how much they spend on mail. The system needs oversight from VA headquarters, he said.  Part of the problem was caused a few years ago when the VA began mailing prescriptions to veterans, leading to a surge in the amount of mail going out, Oswalt said.  "We were asleep at the switch, and we let this behemoth go," he said. "Now, we're bringing it back under centralized authority."  Improving the system will require updated technology, Oswalt said. Information technology has been designated a serious problem for the VA for the past two years. The GAO has previously described IT systems at the VA as "old, inefficient and difficult to maintain."
> 
> MORE


----------



## waltky

Money `bout to run out for VA private health care...




* VA: Money for Private Health Care May Run Out by Year's End*
_27 Sep 2017 | WASHINGTON — The Trump administration says the private-sector Veterans Choice health care program may need more money as early as December._


> Weeks after a veterans' health initiative received $2.1 billion in emergency funding, the Trump administration says the private-sector Veterans Choice health care program may need additional money as early as December to avoid a disruption of care for hundreds of thousands of veterans.  The Department of Veterans Affairs said in a statement Tuesday that it hoped to move quickly on a proposed long-term legislative fix that would give veterans even wider access to private doctors. The proposal, under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would seek money to keep Choice running for much of next year as VA implements wider changes.
> 
> On Capitol Hill, the House Veterans Affairs Committee was already anticipating that the emergency funding approved in August may not last the full six months, according to spokespeople for both Republican and Democratic members on the panel. They cited the VA's past problems in estimating Choice program cost. That committee and the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee said they were closely monitoring the situation.  "It's disheartening," said Carlos Fuentes, legislative director of Veterans of Foreign Wars, citing his group's continuing conversations with VA about Choice funding. "Imagine if a veteran has to cease chemotherapy treatment during Christmas."
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Phoenix VA Health Care Center.​
> Garry Augustine, executive director of Disabled American Veterans' Washington headquarters, said recent discussions with VA also gave him little confidence.  "It's always a concern," Augustine said. "Legislative action needs to be done sooner rather than later."  In its statement to The Associated Press, VA said it could not say for certain when Choice funds would be depleted, but acknowledged that it could be as early as December or as late as March. Earlier this year, the VA began limiting referrals to outside doctors as money began to run low and veterans reported delays in care.
> 
> The VA proposal for a long-term fix is expected to be released in the coming weeks.  "We have a long agenda, a lot more to do," VA Secretary David Shulkin told veterans last week at an event near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. "This fall, our major legislative focus is getting the Choice program working right."  The latest funding woes come amid political disagreement over the future direction of VA and its troubled Choice program, which was passed by Congress in 2014 in response to a wait-time scandal at the Phoenix VA medical center that spread nationwide. Some veterans died while waiting months for appointments as VA employees manipulated records to hide delays. The controversy spurred Congress to establish Choice as a pilot program designed to relieve pressure at VA hospitals.
> 
> MORE


----------



## waltky

VA spending under scrutiny...




*Senators Call for More Oversight of VA Spending*
_10 Oct 2017 | WASHINGTON -- A group of senators is seeking assurances that money spent on private health care for veterans is well-managed._


> A group of senators led by Arizona Republican John McCain is seeking assurances that money spent on private health care for veterans is well-managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  McCain and Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont.; Tim Kaine, D-Va.; and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., introduced legislation to prevent future funding crises at the VA that put veterans' health care and benefits at risk.  The "VA Financial Accountability Act" is a response to the multiple funding shortfalls this year in the Veterans Choice Program, which allows veterans to seek care in the private sector.  "Over the past several months, we've seen the VA lurch from funding crisis to funding crisis because of its inability to effectively manage its budget," McCain said in a prepared statement. "Our veterans deserve to have certainty that their access to quality care in the community through the Veterans Choice Program will continue uninterrupted."
> 
> McCain helped create the Choice program in 2014, following the VA wait-time scandal that was first discovered at the VA hospital in Phoenix.  VA Secretary David Shulkin alerted senators in June that the Choice program was quickly and unexpectedly running out of money. Veterans with long-term medical issues reported their health care was interrupted as requests for appointments through the program accumulated.  The VA also warned the funding shortage could cause layoffs at third-party administrators. Two months later, Congress passed a $2.1 billion emergency funding measure -- just days before the account was expected to be depleted.  There's now concern that the Choice program is facing another shortfall.  The funding provided the VA in August was estimated to last until February. The VA's latest estimate is the money will run out before January.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lt. Liezl Dagum, a nurse at Naval Hospital Jacksonville's intensive care unit, performs a saline flush of a patient's intravenous line​
> Shulkin has attributed the funding shortfalls to the program's increased popularity and the difficulty of estimating how much money will be needed.  "It's a very, very hard program to do accurate financial projections," he said Sept. 29 after a Senate hearing.  The VA Financial Accountability Act would require the VA to hire an independent auditor to review the agency's financial processes and make recommendations. It also calls for the VA to make emergency funding requests at least 45 days before veterans' health care or benefits are affected.  Also under the bill, the VA's chief financial officer must sign off on the department's annual budget request.  "It was troubling to hear recently that the VA will need additional money for the Choice program earlier than expected after Congress just authorized more funding for it," Kaine said in a prepared statement. "The VA's uncertainty about exactly when Choice funding will be run out affects Congress' ability to responsibly budget."
> 
> The Choice program has been criticized as complex and bureaucratic, and Congress is beginning a debate this fall about how to reform it. Shulkin said he expects legislation to be passed by mid-November -- before there's another funding crisis.  There's likely to be conflict in the debate, as some major veterans' groups have expressed concern the billions of dollars going toward private-sector care is undermining the VA system.  McCain also said the reform efforts would "continue to face difficulty" until the VA gets a grasp on its finances.  "The VA's inability to provide Congress with an accurate budget is hurting veterans and taxpayers across this nation," Tester said in a prepared statement. "We can't keep throwing money at the VA without more accountability over their budget and spending practices."
> 
> Senators Call for More Oversight of VA Spending | Military.com


----------



## waltky

Vets Must Apply Online for New VA ID Card...




*Vets Must Apply Online for New VA ID Card*
_16 Oct 2017 | Honorably discharged veterans of all eras who want a new identification card from the Department of Veterans Affairs will be able to apply online by registering with the VA and uploading a photo, officials said._


> Officials had previously told Military.com that the process will include an online application, but offered no further details.  A 2015 law requires the VA to issue a hard-copy photo ID to any honorably discharged veteran who applies. The card must contain the veteran's name, photo and a non-Social Security identification number, the law states.  To apply for the card, veterans must register with Vets.gov, a process that authenticates users through the ID.me system, VA officials told Military.com on Oct. 16.  Doing so requires users to upload a copy of a valid government photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport, and provide their Social Security number, among other information.
> 
> To complete the card application process, users will then upload a recent photo to the VA site that can be printed on the ID card, according to a lawmaker who introduced the legislation requiring the IDs. The cards will be directly mailed to the veteran.  No further information was available as to when in November applications will open, the turnaround time for the IDs or a specific address on the VA website where veterans can apply.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Veterans will be able to register online for the new ID card being issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs.​
> The ID cards are meant to offer a way for veterans to prove their service without carrying a copy of their DD214, which contains sensitive personal information such as veterans' Social Security numbers. The new IDs will not, however, qualify as official government-issued identification for air travel or other uses.  "Every veteran -- past, present, and future -- will now be able to prove their military service without the added risk of identity theft," said Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Florida Republican who introduced the ID card legislation in 2015. "These ID cards will make life a little bit easier for our veterans."  The VA already offers ID cards to some veterans.
> 
> Those who receive health care from the VA or have a disability rating can get a photo ID VA health card, also known as a Veteran Health Identification Card. Military retirees also hold an ID card issued by the Defense Department.  Veterans are able to get a proof of service letter through the VA's ebenefits website. And some states will include a veteran designation on driver's licenses if requested.   The new VA ID card program begins as the military exchange system opens online shopping to honorably discharged veterans of all eras.  That benefit, which will officially launch on Veterans Day, requires veterans to first be verified before they can shop. The benefit does not allow shopping at brick and mortar exchange stores or the commissary and does not include base access.
> 
> Vets Must Apply Online for New VA ID Card | Military.com



See also:

*Retirees, VA Disability Recipients to Get Biggest Pay Raise Since 2012*
_13 Oct 2017 | Military retirees and those who receive disability checks and some other types of pay from the Department of Veterans Affairs will see a 2 percent pay raise in their monthly paychecks in 2018._


> It is the biggest cost of living (COLA) increase since 2012, equaling as much as $310 a month for those at the top of the retirement pay charts.
> 
> Many Monthly Benefits Going Up
> 
> Thanks to the increase, the average military retirement check for an E-7 with 20 years of service will go up by $46 a month, while an O-5 with the same time in uniform will see an $88 monthly increase.  Disabled veterans will also see a bump, with the average VA disability check going up about $3 per month for those with a 10 percent rating, and $58 for those rated at 100 percent.  Other users, including Survivor Benefit Plan beneficiaries and those who draw Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), can also expect to benefit from the bump.  Military retirees and VA beneficiaries aren't the only ones who benefit from the COLA increase. Civil service retirees will also see the 2 percent jump in their monthly checks.  And for Social Security recipients, the monthly increase will mean an extra $25 per month for the average beneficiary.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Biggest COLA Bump in Years
> 
> Most government payments see a COLA increase every year. The increase, which is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), makes sure payments keep up with inflation.  Recipients can thank a big jump in the cost of gasoline due to Hurricane Harvey for the jump in the CPI that caused this year's COLA boost.  The COLA affects benefits for more than 70 million U.S. residents, including Social Security recipients, disabled veterans, federal retirees, and retired military members. That's about one in every five Americans.  Last year, the COLA increase was 0.3 percent; in 2015, retirees saw their checks remain at 2014 levels.
> 
> Lower Than the Active-Duty Pay Raise?
> 
> Congress is still hashing out the pay raise currently serving troops will receive for 2018.  Both a proposal passed by the Senate and a White House plan mandate a 2.1 percent increase. A measure passed by the House would instead give troops a 2.3 percent increase.  A decision on just what those troops will receive -- and whether what retirees and VA users will receive is lower -- has yet to be made. Lawmakers have recently started closed-door negotiations on the proposals.  Unlike that active-duty pay raise, the bump received by retirees and VA users does not require an act of Congress to go into effect. Those groups will see their pay raise in January regardless of what Congress does for current troops.
> 
> Retirees, VA Disability Recipients to Get Biggest Pay Raise Since 2012 | Military.com


----------



## waltky

That ought to cut down on  the wait time...




*Veterans with 'Bad Paper' Won't Get New VA ID Cards*
_20 Oct 2017 | WASHINGTON -- Starting next month, vets can register for ID cards to prove their military history, but not everyone who has served will get one._


> The Department of Veterans Affairs will provide free, hard-copy identification cards that include their names, photos and an identification number. The rollout is the result of legislation Congress passed in 2015 to make it easier for veterans to receive things such as discounts at stores and restaurants.  Some veterans groups applauded the legislation at the time, saying it would be easier and safer than having veterans carry around their DD214s -- certificates of release or discharge that contain sensitive information.  It's unsure when the cards will be available in November, or how long it will take to process applications for them. The design is also still being finalized.  But one thing is certain: Cards won't be available to veterans with other-than-honorable discharges.  "Only those veterans with honorable service will be eligible for the ID card," VA spokesman Curt Cashour said Wednesday.
> 
> That has prompted anger by some veterans, who see it as setback despite recent progress the government has made in how it treats vets with other-than-honorable discharges, known as "bad paper."  In July, the VA began providing urgent mental health care to veterans with other-than-honorable discharges -- aid that previously wasn't available. The following month, the Defense Department issued a sweeping policy change to afford more leeway to veterans seeking upgrades to their other-than-honorable discharges.  "This is a step backward," said Tyson Manker, a former infantry Marine who received an other-than-honorable discharge after he returned from a 2003 deployment.  Kristofer Goldsmith, an assistant director for policy and government affairs at Vietnam Veterans of America and founder of High Ground Veterans Advocacy, said he appealed to VA Secretary David Shulkin to allow all veterans to receive the cards.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Application declined.​
> The bill passed in 2015 does not mention limiting the cards to veterans with honorable discharges. Cashour did not explain the eligibility restriction.  "They're being denied their very identity as a veteran," said Goldsmith, an Iraq War veteran who was discharged for misconduct after a suicide attempt. "They face this at multiple points in their life. A lot of folks just think the point of discharge is the punishment, but these administrative discharges are lifetime sentences."  Experts have cited various reasons service members could've unfairly received bad paper.  From World War II to 2011, when the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was repealed, veterans were other-than-honorably discharged for being gay. Others have struggled with service-related post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma or other disorders that affected their behavior and led to their bad paper.
> 
> The Government Accountability Office released a report in May stating more than 57,000 service members suffering from PTSD, TBI or adjustment; and anxiety, bipolar and substance abuse disorders were separated from the military for misconduct from 2011 through 2015.  Manker was 21 and dealing with mental health issues when he was accused of smoking marijuana off base, he said. His discharge initially prevented him from receiving VA services, but he recently won his fight to secure benefits.  Being rejected the new identification cards means another fight to prove his status as a veteran, he said.  "Once again, here we are, and 'bad paper' veterans are getting pushed aside and forgotten about like they're not veterans," Manker said. "It's shameful. This just turns the knife in a little bit deeper."
> 
> Veterans with 'Bad Paper' Won't Get New VA ID Cards | Military.com



See also:

* Veteran, Glass Artist Falsified His Military Record*
_20 Oct 2017 - John Garofalo falsely claimed he served as a Navy SEAL._


> On Sunday, Oct. 8, Fox News Channel aired a story about John Garofalo, a glass artist who created a presidential glass seal in the hopes of gifting it to President Trump.  Garofalo claimed he was a Vietnam veteran, a member of the first U.S. Navy SEAL team, and a decorated war hero who was awarded two Purple Hearts.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> John Garofalo falsely claimed he was a Vietnam veteran, a member of the first U.S. Navy SEAL team, and a decorated war hero who was awarded two Purple Hearts​
> Unfortunately, all of Garofalo's claims turned out to be untrue. The fact is that he did not serve in Vietnam. He was never a U.S. Navy SEAL. Even though he showed us medals, Garofalo was not awarded two Purple Hearts or any of the other nearly two dozen commendations he claimed to have received, except for the National Defense Service Medal.  It is true that Garafalo is a glass artist and a veteran. He served in Spain and he gifted two presidential seals to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
> 
> Over the last two weeks, we've worked with Garofalo's family and the National Personnel Records Center to get to the bottom of a military past that Garofalo had claimed to be covert.  We apologize to our viewers, especially veterans and servicemen and women.
> 
> Veteran, Glass Artist Falsified His Military Record | Military.com


----------



## waltky

Reducing costs w/ better healthcare for vets...




*VA: Letting Vets Seek Community Healthcare Will Save Billions*
_October 24, 2017 - Allowing more veterans to seek medical care outside VA facilities will save taxpayers billions of dollars over the next decade, top VA officials said._


> VA Secretary David Shulkin on Monday said increasing private care options under the proposed Coordinated Access and Rewarding Experiences, or CARE, Act would result in an estimated “billions” of dollars in savings — largely from reduced administrative costs — over a 10-year period.  “Under the Veteran Care Act, veterans will have new access to a network of walk-in clinics for occasional needs such as minor illnesses and injuries,” he said. “We’re proposing consolidating Choice and all of VA’s community care programs into a single program.”  His comments came during a hearing of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, headed by Rep. Dr. Phil Roe, a Republican from Tennessee.
> 
> How It Could Work
> 
> Shulkin didn’t go into details on the proposed program’s cost or implementation plan, but he did lay out its general framework.  Under the CARE Act, the department would allow a veteran to see a non-VA doctor for a number of reasons, including if the department is unable to supply an in-house appointment within a reasonable amount of time, if the veteran has to travel too far to see a doctor or if the nearest VA facility doesn’t meet the “standards of access and quality of care.”    The secretary’s testimony didn’t fully outline how the VA would determine whether or not a department facility is meeting standards of access and quality of care. The VA website does have data comparing their medical facilities to civilian healthcare, but the information is somewhat limited.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Shulkin was also vague on what a veteran will be able to do if unhappy with treatment received at a VA facility. In the civilian world, people can simply go to a different doctor. But the secretary only said treatment would be based on “clinical criteria,” and that the decision to send him or her to a civilian doctor would be made by the veteran and a doctor.  Representatives agreed with the Shulkin’s opinion that the new program would most help rural veterans. Under the new program, rural vets would be assigned to a civilian doctor, and wouldn’t have to get VA approval to visit that doctor each time they needed healthcare.
> 
> Care to Replace Choice
> 
> The CARE Act is designed to replace the existing VA Choice program, which is projected to run out of funding by the end of the year.  Under the current Choice program, veterans can see a civilian doctor if they cannot get an appointment with the VA within 30 days, or if they must travel more than 40 miles to see a department doctor. Veterans in certain locations, such as Alaska, are also automatically enrolled in Choice regardless of their proximity to the VA hospital.
> 
> Under Choice, the VA makes civilian appointments for eligible veterans, and subsequently takes care of all the payments. But some civilian doctors have complained that the VA takes too long to pay, or doesn’t pay them enough.  The VA hasn’t said how the appointment process would work under the proposed CARE program, but they plan on automating the payment process to attract more civilian doctors to the system.
> 
> *New Access to Urgent Care*


----------



## Windparadox

`
`
So, how's *tPF* these days?


----------



## waltky

Colorado VA Kept Secret Wait Lists for Mental Health Care...




*Colorado VA Kept Secret Wait Lists for Mental Health Care: Report*
_20 Nov 2017 - A new government watchdog found that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facility in Denver kept improper wait lists._


> A new government watchdog group found that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facility in Denver violated policy by keeping improper wait lists to track mental health care that veterans received.  Investigators with the VA Office of Inspector General confirmed whistleblower and former VA employee Brian Smother's claim that staff kept unauthorized lists instead of using the department's official wait list system.  That made it impossible to know if veterans who needed referrals for group therapy and other mental health care were getting timely assistance, according to the report. The internal investigation also criticized record-keeping in PTSD cases at the VA's facility in Colorado Springs.
> 
> Patients there often went longer than the department's stated goals of getting an initial consult within a week and treatment within 30 days, investigators found. In one case, a veteran killed himself 13 days after contacting the clinic, which was supposed to see him within a week.  Investigators said the unofficial lists did not always identify the veteran or requested date of care, and they could not determine how many veterans were waiting to receive help and for how long, even with the help of staff at the facilities.  "My worst fears have been realized in this Inspector General's report that Chairman Johnson and I demanded," Colorado Republican Senator Cory Gardener said in a statement. "It highlights even more VA mismanagement and lack of accountability in Colorado. This cannot happen again, and it's time for the VA to finally wake up and ensure our men and women are getting the best care possible. I will continue to work with Chairman Johnson to ensure the accountability that somehow the VA refuses to accept."
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A June 21, 2013 file photo of the Veterans Affairs Department in Washington.​
> Smothers, who worked at the VA in Denver as a peer support specialist on the post-traumatic stress disorder clinical support team, informed Gardner and his fellow senator, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, last about the VA facilities in Denver and nearby Golden using wait lists for mental health services from 2012 until last September. Gardner resigned from his post at the VA shortly after going public, citing retaliation from VA officials in Colorado.   "Putting veterans on secret wait lists is not acceptable," Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said in a statement. "The VA should implement changes to provide the highest quality care for our veterans and hold wrongdoers accountable. I thank Brian Smothers, the whistleblower who bravely came forward to shed a light on these unacceptable practices at the VA so they can be prevented in the future."
> 
> Speaking to the Associated Press, Smothers said he was disappointed the report didn't make clearer that VA staff knew full well what they were doing. "We renamed the files 'interest lists' so people wouldn't know we were breaking the rules" on how to maintain wait lists, Smothers said.  The VA Eastern Colorado Health Care systemaid in a statement that while it agreed with much of the report's findings it bristled at the idea that its wait lists were "secret." The statement says that "nothing about this process was secret" and that it was discontinued once staff became aware it violated VA policies.  The VA Eastern Colorado Health Care system said in a statement that while it agreed with much of the report's findings it bristled at the idea that its wait lists were "secret." The statement says that "nothing about this process was secret" and that it was discontinued once staff became aware it violated VA policies.
> 
> Colorado VA Kept Secret Wait Lists for Mental Health Care: Report | Military.com


----------



## waltky

VA Failed to Report 90% of Poor-Performing Doctors...

* Watchdog: VA Failed to Report 90 Percent of Poor-Performing Doctors*
_28 Nov 2017 | WASHINGTON -- The VA fails to report 90 percent of poor-performing doctors to national and state databases, according to findings._


> The Department of Veterans Affairs fails to report 90 percent of poor-performing doctors to national and state databases intended to alert other hospitals of misconduct, according to findings released Monday by the Government Accountability Office.  The government watchdog found VA officials were slow to investigate when concerns were raised about the performance of certain doctors. Further, in eight out of nine cases, the VA failed to report doctors who didn't meet health care standards.  "Until [the Veterans Health Administration] strengthens its oversight of these processes, veterans may be at increased risk of receiving unsafe care through the VA health care system," the GAO concluded.  The findings were based on reviews of 148 instances of complaints against VA medical providers at five hospitals from 2013 to 2017. The concerns ranged from unsafe or inconsistent practices to doctors incorrectly recording patient visits.
> 
> The VA failed to document about half of those cases, the GAO found. For 16 doctors, the VA waited multiple months or years to initiate reviews of complaints.  During that time, nine doctors were disciplined by the VA for possible professional incompetence or misconduct, or they resigned to avoid disciplinary action. But the VA didn't report any of them to state licensing boards, and only one was reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank. Those databases are designed to inform other health care facilities about doctors' past performance.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington.​
> In one instance, a doctor who resigned from the VA while under investigation was not reported, and later hired to another, non-VA hospital in the same city. Two years later, that hospital disciplined the doctor for the same conduct that prompted the VA investigation, the GAO reported.  The GAO is recommending the VA improve oversight of how concerns raised about doctors are reviewed and documented. In response to the watchdog report, VA Deputy Chief of Staff Gina Farrisee wrote the agency agreed with the recommendations and would comply with them by October 2018.  "Without documentation and timely reviews of providers' clinical care, [VA] officials may lack information needed to reasonably ensure that providers are competent to provide safe, high quality care to veterans," the GAO report reads.
> 
> The U.S. Office of Special Counsel has recently received complaints from whistleblowers that seem to back up the GAO findings of VA leadership failing to address concerns about doctors, inspectors wrote.  A subcommittee of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs is planning to meet Wednesday morning to discuss the report publicly.
> 
> Watchdog: VA Failed to Report 90 Percent of Poor-Performing Doctors | Military.com


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## waltky

VA not payin' it's bills to Treasury...

*VA Owes $226 Million to Treasury Department, Inspector General Finds*
_29 Nov 2017 | WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs owes $226 million to the Treasury Department, according to an internal watchdog report._


> The Department of Veterans Affairs owes $226 million to the Treasury Department and has no immediate plans to repay it, according to an internal watchdog report released Tuesday.  The VA office of inspector general found the agency has not repaid funds taken from the Treasury's Judgment Fund during the past six years to pay settlements from contract disputes on 10 major construction projects. The lack of reimbursement goes against federal regulations and VA policy, inspectors said.  "By not reimbursing the Judgment Fund timely, VA has continued to maintain significant liabilities," inspectors wrote. "VA will require significant future funding to satisfy the outstanding claims."
> 
> The Treasury paid to settle 23 claims arising from contract disputes on major VA projects in Maryland, Florida, Colorado, Nevada, California and Pennsylvania. Federal laws require agencies to reimburse the Treasury within 45 days or create a repayment plan in that time. Inspectors found the VA had been delinquent for 221 days on average and the agency had no documented plans to repay the money.  Three claims were related to the VA hospital near Denver, which is under construction and experiencing massive cost overruns. Reimbursement for one of those claims is $4.5 million and 411 days past due.  Nine claims came from construction of the new VA hospital in Orlando, Florida. Five of those claims are 340 days delinquent.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The U.S. Treasury Department building in Washington, D.C.​
> As older claims go unpaid, new ones are piling on. One claim, for $1.4 million for the Orlando project, was five days delinquent when inspectors began their review.  The inspector general's office conducted its review from January to September, following a request from Congress to look into the issue.  As of Jan. 31, 2017, the VA had reimbursed the Treasury fund for only $21.4 million of the $247.7 million that it owed, inspectors found, bringing its outstanding balance to $226.3 million. The Treasury does not assess interest on the VA.  The VA hasn't been requesting enough money from Congress to pay back the Treasury, the report also stated. From fiscal 2012 to 2017, the VA asked Congress for only $29 million to go toward the reimbursements.
> 
> The inspector general's office is recommending the VA update its policies and ensure it reimburses the Treasury or comes up with a repayment plan within the allotted 45-day window. In a written response to the report, Edward Murray, the VA's acting assistant secretary for management and budget, wrote the VA would establish a repayment plan.  According to the report, Murray told inspectors that reimbursing the Treasury wasn't as urgent as other department needs.  "Replacing Judgment Funds was considered a lower priority than other requirements that support veterans' access and safety," inspectors wrote.
> 
> VA Owes $226 Million to Treasury Department, Inspector General Finds | Military.com


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## waltky

Faster Veteran Disability Claim Processing Times...




*VA, DoD Report Faster Disability Claim Processing Times*
_13 Dec 2017 - The Department of Veterans Affairs and Defense Department have improved disability claims processing time for troops leaving the military -- but there is still more to be done, officials told lawmakers Wednesday._


> Officials with the VA, DoD and the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) testified Wednesday at a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee hearing on the agencies' pre-discharge claims programs.  "The most important element that we've seen in making improvements is, in fact, better coordination between the DoD and VA," said Elizabeth Etsy, a Democrat from Connecticut and ranking member on the disability assistance and memorial affairs subcommittee. "That's not easy to do, but it's essential if we're going to continue to make progress."  The VA and DoD's Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES), which rolled out in 2009, is designed to streamline the medical discharge or retirement and ratings process for service members.  Instead of duplicating many appointments and paperwork, IDES is meant to push troops through with one set of appointments while processing their claim simultaneously.
> 
> In 2007, the disability process took an average 540 days from start to finish for the VA to deliver benefits. But in 2017, that timeline dropped to an average of 250 days, Terry Adirim, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for health policy, told lawmakers.  And once claims enter the system, the VA is processing them in an average of 81 days -- 102 days faster than in May 2014, when the subcommittee last examined the topic, said Willie Clark, the VA's deputy under secretary for field operations.  The VA early this fall shut down a claims process known as "quick start" that allowed troops with 59 days or fewer left in service, considered a late start, to begin the VA disability claims process.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Daniel Barnes, physical evaluation board liaison officer lead at the Integrated Disability Evaluation System Center, Fort Bliss, Texas​
> A new program known as Decision Ready Claims was put in place to allow current troops to work with veteran service organizations, such as the American Legion or VFW, to build a claim that can be submitted as soon as they are off active duty and, in theory, processed within 30 days.  While an official with the American Legion said his organization has not heard consistently negative feedback, an official with the VFW told the committee that eliminating the quick start program is forcing many veterans to wait to start a claim until after they get out.
> 
> In the past, he said, up to half of the claims the VFW helped process were in the quick start category.  And while the new Decision Ready process appears to be valuable, he said, the VA needs to provide a pre-discharge solution for those who do not meet that 60 day cutoff.  "It troubles us that VA is telling service members it will no longer work on up to 50 percent of pre-discharge claims until they officially leave the military," said Ryan Gallucci, the VFW's director for its national veterans service.  Lawmakers said they plan to hold additional hearings on the disability process.  "I'm hoping we can find out ways that DoD and VA can make all of the pre-discharge processes more efficient for our nation's service members," said Rep. Mike Bost, an Illinois Republican who chairs the subcommittee.
> 
> VA, DoD Report Faster Disability Claim Processing Times



See also:

*VA Urges Congress to Approve Funding or See 'Dramatic Impact' on Vets*
_13 Dec 2017 | WASHINGTON -- Veterans' health care will be dramatically affected if Congress finishes out the week without funding a program that permits many veterans to receive private-sector medical care, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin warned Tuesday._


> The Veterans Choice program will be depleted of funds within three to five weeks, Shulkin wrote in a notice to Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. Without more money, the VA will soon stop referring patients to their private-sector doctors, he said.  Shulkin warned it could lead to diminished access to health care for veterans. The Choice program was established in 2014 to improve VA wait times and allow veterans to receive treatment closer to their homes. Since it was implemented, 1.9 million veterans have used the program at some point, and about one-third of VA medical appointments are completed in the private sector, according to the VA.  "VA's other community care programs will not have the capacity to handle all of the patients who will transition from [the Choice program], and the wait time for appointments at VA facilities will rise if large numbers of veterans return to VA to seek care," Shulkin wrote. "Taking these actions would have a number of negative consequences, including decreased access to care, damaged community partnerships and interrupted care continuity for veterans."
> 
> The VA was in the same position just four months ago. The Choice program nearly ran out of money in mid-August before Congress passed a bill providing $2.1 billion in emergency funding to keep it going.  In the time since, lawmakers have negotiated legislation to reform the Choice program. Three bills now exist in Congress to provide temporary funding for Choice and create a new system for private-sector care, but lawmakers haven't come to an agreement on one of them.  In the past few months, Shulkin shared his own proposal for overhauling community care programs and has urged Congress repeatedly to approve reform legislation before the end of the year.  The House is expected to recess Thursday, followed by the Senate on Friday.
> 
> In response to the letter, Isakson issued a statement Tuesday asking Senate leadership to schedule a vote on the Caring for Our Veterans Act -- a Choice reform bill that his committee sent to the Senate floor Nov. 29. The legislation, totaling $54 billion, would provide $3 billion to the Choice program and phase it out after one year.   "It is critical that we pass this bipartisan legislation before the end of the year to ensure veterans continue to have access to efficient, timely and quality health care," Isakson said in the written statement. "I urge the Senate to quickly pass this bipartisan legislation without delay."
> 
> In a statement last week, Shulkin pleaded with Congress to pass another emergency funding bill for the Choice program before the end of the year, and then come back in 2018 to discuss major reforms. With only days remaining before the holiday recess, that option was looking more likely Tuesday.  Shulkin wrote the VA spends between $200 million to $400 million each month on appointments made through the Choice program. As of Dec. 7, there was $490 million remaining, but much of that had already been spent in December.
> 
> VA Urges Congress to Approve Funding or See 'Dramatic Impact' on Vets


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## waltky

Here's lookin' at ya...
*



*
*VA Criticized over Eye Care for Vets in Rural Areas*
_1 Feb 2018 | WASHINGTON -- A Department of Veterans Affairs program aimed at increasing access to eye exams for rural and homeless veterans utilizes a technique that some optometrists consider subpar care._


> Through the program, veterans receive eye screenings using technology called auto-refraction to check for vision problems and disease. The results are used as the basis for eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions.  During a typical eye exam, auto-refraction is a starting point for an eyeglass prescription, not the primary source, said Matt Willette, director of congressional relations with the 40,000-member American Optometric Association. The association has raised concerns with the VA that the method could lead to missed diagnoses and imprecise eyeglass prescriptions. It is a claim the VA disputes.  "This is an experimental protocol," Willette said. "No one has tested to see if it's close to an eye exam, or if it misses a lot of stuff. That really worried us, veterans being experimented on."  The program, called Titled Technology-Based Eye Care Services, or TECS, started in 2015 in clinics surrounding the VA medical center in Atlanta. The following year, the state of Georgia enacted a law requiring prescriptions for eyeglasses to be issued after an in-person, comprehensive exam and not limited to information from an auto-refractor.  Because the VA is a federal agency, the law does not apply.
> 
> The American Optometric Association has issued complaints about TECS since about mid-2016, Willette said. The organization has recently increased its protest after learning the VA might expand the program to more sites nationwide.  In response to criticisms that TECS offers substandard care, VA spokesman Curtis Cashour said those claims were "not at all accurate."  There's a quality-assurance system in place, he said, that "tracks outcomes and ensures high-quality care." The screenings are conducted by licensed and certified ophthalmologists, he said.  Last January, leaders of TECS published early findings that the program saved time for veterans and physicians and led to cost savings for the VA when compared to face-to-face exams at VA hospitals.  The VA is also touting it as a method to improve veterans' access to care.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Air Force Lt. Col. David Miller, an optometrist assigned to the 442nd Medical Squadron assists in setting up a phoropter which will be used to give eye exams​
> Of the 2,690 veterans who received a checkup in the program's first 13 months, 33 percent secured a same-day appointment, and 98 percent got an appointment within 30 days of requesting one, according to the published findings.  "The goal of the program is to reduce health care disparities in veterans by providing better access to eye care for rural and homeless veterans," Cashour said. "These populations are medically underserved, and VA is working to modernize and improve the way we deliver eye care to our veterans to prevent blindness."  But Willette argued veterans failing to get an appointment at a VA facility could turn to the Choice program for a comprehensive eye exam, rather than settling for an inferior checkup. The Choice program, created in 2014 to reduce wait times, allows VA patients to receive private-sector medical care.  Willette also contends the VA isn't doing enough to warn veterans that the TECS screenings aren't comprehensive exams.  "VA is essentially trying to pass it off as an eye exam, but it's not," he said.  Cashour said brochures and other educational materials about the TECS program emphasize the screenings don't replace in-person exams.
> 
> Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., wrote a letter to the VA in February 2017 with concerns TECS was providing a lesser level of care for veterans and "providing them with a false sense of security" that they were receiving treatment on par with a complete eye exam. Isakson's office said Wednesday that his staff members received a briefing about TECS weeks after the letter was sent.  "It was very helpful, and we were satisfied with the information we received," said Amanda Maddox, Isakson's spokeswoman.  Another senator, Republican John Boozman of Arkansas, questioned VA Secretary David Shulkin about the program in June. Boozman, a trained optometrist, has expressed concerns about the TECS screenings being based on experimental technology that hasn't been tested for accuracy and provides only limited results.  "That truly is third-world," Boozman told Shulkin at a congressional hearing. "There is no example of this going on in private practice in America."
> 
> Shulkin, new to the job at the time of the hearing, said he would look into the program.  AMVETS, a national veterans service organization, also has spoken out about TECS. Joe Chenelly, its executive director, described it as "misguided."  "They appear to be reducing the quality of service for veterans," he said.  As of now, the program is based at several VA medical centers in addition to the one in Atlanta and about 8,000 veterans have been screened through TECS, Cashour said.  "We don't know where to go from here," Willette said. "I certainly don't want to bash the VA, they've got a difficult job, but this is one of the things they need to deal with."
> 
> VA Criticized over Eye Care for Vets in Rural Areas


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## waltky

Many Veterans Still Excluded from Critical VA Services...




*Many Veterans Still Excluded from Critical VA Services*
_30 Mar 2018 Delphine Metcalf-Foster is the national commander of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and a disabled U.S. Army veteran of the Gulf War. She served as caregiver to her husband, also a disabled Army veteran._


> Our nation's veterans put their lives on the line to defend and protect the American people, and we owe it to them and their families to ensure they receive the care and support they earned.  Unfortunately, many ill and injured veterans of World War II, the Vietnam War, Korean War and Gulf Wars -- as well as their caregivers -- are being excluded from a range of critical Department of Veterans Affairs support services.  Since 2010, veterans injured after Sept. 11, 2001, have been eligible for benefits and support through the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers -- to include respite care, access to health insurance, a modest stipend and home health training. But veterans of past generations are ineligible for the program, all because of an arbitrary date.  The Disabled American Veterans had pushed hard and advocated for inclusion of a provision expanding eligibility of this program to veterans of all eras in the omnibus spending package released in late March. Unfortunately, the provision did not make it into the final bill that Congress enacted.
> 
> I personally know the sacrifice caregivers make. When my husband Jimmy -- who was also an Army veteran -- developed Alzheimer's and dementia, I was suddenly thrust into the role of caregiver. I did my best to give him the support he needed, but I also had to work full-time because we had limited resources.  As much as I wanted to keep my soldier home, his condition worsened. I grew older, and soon his care was too much for me to handle. I was forced to move Jimmy to a nursing facility, where he lived out the remainder of his days.  If Jimmy had served after 9/11, we may have been eligible for comprehensive VA caregiver assistance. He could have spent the rest of his life where he belonged -- at home, with me.  Sadly, my story is not unique.  Veteran caregivers often live a life of immense, though humble, self-sacrifice. Many must halt their careers, forgo educational pursuits and set aside personal goals to provide the care needed to a loved one seriously injured in the line of duty.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> World War II veterans arrive at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., for a ceremony honoring their service in the Pacific theater​
> Caregivers rarely put their own needs first and, in many cases, they themselves experience a decline in physical and emotional health as they tirelessly see to the needs of their veteran.  A 2017 DAV study confirms these troubling statistics. Almost 80 percent of caregivers who received no federal support said they had suffered negative impacts on their health, career, financial security and family relationships.  It's true that our post-9/11 veterans need and deserve access to the VA's caregiver support program, and it has done so much to ease the strains and stresses that come with caregiving.  But tens of thousands of veterans of previous wars and their caregivers have been going it alone -- with little to no outside help or support -- for decades. As the veterans age, their illnesses and injuries often worsen. Meanwhile, their caregivers grow older and their ability to care for their loved one may diminish too.  We firmly believe that no matter when a service-connected injury occurred, veterans have earned the right to equal care and benefits. A single date on the calendar should not determine how much support a seriously disabled veteran receives.
> 
> For too many of our nation's veterans, the restrictive post-9/11 eligibility criteria for the VA's caregiver program has meant a life of insult added to serious injury. They and their caregivers have incurred unnecessary emotional and financial hardships on top of life-altering disabilities, and that is simply unjust.  This was a historic opportunity to incorporate a much-needed, long-awaited reform policy that would have dramatically improved the quality of life of our nation's veterans and their caregivers. But we cannot let our foot off the gas as we drive toward this important goal.  We must do better by our veterans, and we call on Congress and the Trump administration to do what is right and what is fair by supporting expansion of caregiver benefits and support services to all generations of severely injured veterans.
> 
> Op-Ed: Many Veterans Still Excluded from Critical VA Services


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## waltky

*'Rust and Blood' Found on VA Medical Center Surgical Instruments...*
*



*
*VA to Add Medical Staff After 'Rust and Blood' Found on Surgical Instruments*
_5 Sep 2018 - At the Manchester, New Hampshire, VA Medical Center last year, surgeries were canceled when debris that appeared to be "rust and blood" was found on instruments doctors were about to use._


> At the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center last year, the staff ran out of sterilized instruments, and even bone marrow, and had to borrow them from neighboring hospitals.  At the Cincinnati VA Medical Center in 2016, inspectors found that the system was failing to provide doctors with equipment that was "free of bioburden [bacteria], debris, or both."  At the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, 83 surgeries were cancelled in 2016 because of fly infestations in operating rooms.  Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, a medical doctor and chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said he found it amazing that the Veterans Health Administration within the VA was struggling to fulfill the "most basic function" of its hospitals: "to make sure you have sterile equipment."  "It's astonishing to me," Roe said at a hearing Wednesday before the Subcommittee On Oversight and Investigations.
> 
> Roe, who served two years in the Army Medical Corps, said he had performed or assisted in thousands of surgeries.  "I never even thought about it, was the equipment going to be sterile that I'm using today?" he said.  In response, Dr. Teresa Boyd, the VA's assistant under secretary for Health for Clinical Operations, acknowledged the problem but pointed to mitigating data on the surgical site infection rate.  Of the more than 424,000 surgeries scheduled at the VA in the past year, only 0.8 percent had to be cancelled because of concerns with equipment sterility, Boyd said. At the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center, the rate was 1.09 percent.  That compared with surgical site infections rates of 1.41 percent nationally, and 1.9 percent in industry, she said.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Manchester, N.H., Veteran Affairs Medical Center.​
> However, Dr. John Daigh, Jr., assistant inspector general for Healthcare Inspections at the VA's Office of Inspector General, said there was still cause for concern regarding the VA's protocol for sterile equipment and ensuring the same standards across all its facilities.  The sterile equipment issue at the VA has been a recurring problem dating back to at least 2009 and has been documented in numerous reports from the Government Accountability Office, the VA's Office of Inspector General, the VHA's Office of Medical Inspector, and verified whistleblower complaints.  In 2009, more than 10,000 veterans at VA facilities in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee were put at risk for hepatitis because of concerns over the sterility of instruments used for colonoscopies.
> 
> Hospital officials at the time reported that tubing for endoscopes used repeatedly in the procedures had been rinsed but not disinfected.  At the hearing, Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Michigan, the subcommittee's chairman and a retired Marine lieutenant general, charged that failures in VA leadership allowed "safety protocols to go unnoticed and uncorrected."  He said the VHA's central office was unaware that medical centers were failing to submit timely Sterile Procedure Services reports, "suggesting that blame goes all the way to the top."  Boyd said the issue was being addressed at all levels of the VA. She also concurred with the findings of recent GAO reports, and said that a shortage of SPS staff was a contributing factor.
> 
> MORE


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