Black People Politics : 6 big things the new Veterans Affairs chief will have to address

HODEE

Alonewolf
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Jul 2, 2003
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...aries-soon-four-including-david-sh/470573002/

But year after year, critical deficiencies remain and veterans are bearing the brunt of the failures. Here are some key, seemingly intractable shortfalls that continue to plague the system
  • Veterans are still waiting
The furor over VA health care exploded in 2014 when whistle-blowers in Arizona divulged that thousands of patients were backlogged at the Phoenix veteran’s hospital, and some of them had died awaiting care. VA investigators soon determined that medical center administrators knew about the crisis yet put out fraudulent wait-time data to collect bonus pay.
  • Quality of care
USA TODAY obtained internal documents revealing reported threats to patient safety soared in recent years from 700 to more than 1,000.
  • Bureaucratic breakdown
Investigators found “a culture of complacency and a sense of futility pervaded offices at multiple levels.”

“In interviews, leaders frequently abrogated individual responsibility and deflected blame to others,” the investigation report says. “Despite the many warnings and ongoing indicators of serious problems, leaders failed to engage in meaningful interventions of effective remediation.”

  • Vetting failures
In a report released Monday, the inspector general found vetting failures go beyond medical providers. Investigators determined that the VA did not conduct required background checks on more than 6,000 employees and managers failed to properly document and oversee background checks.



    • Hiding shoddy care
The agency has failed for years to ensure medical care providers found to have provided poor care are reported to state licensing boards or to a national database created to prevent them from crossing state lines and endangering other patients.



    • Politics
They have no one, and have gone thru three secretaries so far
Obama care looks real good I bet compared to this fiasco.

==========
The most perilous and important controversy involves decisions on privatizing veterans’ healthcare.

Powerful unions and veteran service organizations, such as the American Legion, oppose a radical change, and they are supported by most Democrats on Capitol Hill. But Republicans and key advocacy groups, such as Concerned Veterans for America, are demanding a system that would let veterans decide whether they go to the VA for care, or get private treatment subsidized by the government.

Trump suggested that Shulkin was dismissed because he was not aggressive enough in promoting the private-care option.

The existing Choice Program, which ate up billions of dollars and had to be re-funded, promises to be even more expensive if expanded. And those costs already have included tens of millions of dollars in improper payments to contractors.

Veteran enrollment for healthcare has skyrocketed, and Congress continues to expand benefits for those already in the system, with care for Agent Orange victims and high-cost medications for hepatitis patients. Bringing in enough funding to meet that demand also requires political aplomb.


 
I think the VA is trying to do a little better, thanks to some older vets
It’s still not good enough.
I do agree with you.

My spouse a veteran. They have began using civilian doctors because of the backlog. VA schedululed 2 civilian appointments for him this week.
My husband has written his congressmen, John Lewis, about the VA a few times, because you can’t get an appointment till 6 months out.
He writes back.

It’s a lot to take on.
 

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