Report: 307,000 U.S. Veterans Died Awaiting Veterans Affairs Health Care

CNN: 307,000 veterans may have died awaiting Veterans Affairs health care, report says

(CNN)Hundreds of thousands of veterans listed in the Department of Veterans Affairs enrollment system died before their applications for care were processed, according to a report issued Wednesday.

The VA's inspector general found that out of about 800,000 records stalled in the agency's system for managing health care enrollment, there were more than 307,000 records that belonged to veterans who had died months or years in the past. The inspector general said due to limitations in the system's data, the number of records did not necessarily represent veterans actively seeking enrollment in VA health care.

In a response to a request by the House Committee on Veterans Affairs' to investigate a whistleblower's allegations of mismanagement at the VA's Health Eligibility Center, the inspector general also found VA staffers incorrectly marked unprocessed applications and may have deleted 10,000 or more records in the last five years.

WNU Editor: As shocking as this story is .... what is even more shocking is how little this news story is being covered by the main stream media.

Death Is Your Probable Outcome if You Are On America's VA Waiting List

The Hill: Report: One-third of vets on pending medical care list already dead

An internal Veterans Affairs Department report states that about one-third of the veterans waiting to receive medical care from the agency have already died.

A review of veteran death records provided to the Huffington Post found that, as of April, 847,822 veterans were awaiting healthcare and that of those, 238,647 were already deceased.

The report was handed over by Scott Davis, a program specialist at the VA's Health Eligibility Center in Atlanta

He also sent copies to the House and Senate VA panels and to the White House.

Update: Leaked Document: Nearly One-Third Of 847,000 Veterans In Backlog For VA Health Care Already Died -- Huffington Post

WNU Editor: I guess this is the VA's way on getting rid of their backlog while covering-up their incompetence. This is a news story that is being completely under-reported by the U.S. main stream media .... but at least the Russian media is playing up this story .... 238,000 US veterans died waiting for health care – leaked document (RT). On a personal note .... as one who has lived most of his life under government mandated and regulated health care .... these statistics are not a surprise. Long waiting times are the rule when the government runs an agency .... and if you have a chronic and/or serious disease or condition .... even longer.

US Senate Report: VA Misconduct May Have Cost 1,000 Veterans Their Lives

Poor Care At VA Hospitals Cost 1,000 Veterans Their Lives, Report Says -- Washington Times

$1B in malpractice settlements as horror stories revealed

The problems at Veterans Affairs extend well beyond long wait lists, with a report Tuesday showing the department is plagued with poor care that has cost up to 1,000 veterans their lives and left taxpayers on the hook for nearly $1 billion in malpractice settlements since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some of the problems detailed in the report by Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma are downright ghoulish. They include the case of a former security chief at a New York Veterans Affairs medical center whom the FBI arrested on charges of plotting to kidnap, rape and murder women and children.

Read more ....

More News On The VA Scandal

Bad VA care may have killed more than 1,000 veterans, senator's report says -- CNN
Senator: More than 1,000 veterans may have died as a result of VA misconduct -- Stars and Stripes
VA ‘misconduct’ may have led to 1,000 deaths: report -- New York Post
Phoenix VA clerk: Records were altered to hide patient deaths -- Stars and Stripes
VA ignored complaints from whistleblowers, did nothing to address problems, report shows -- Washington Times
Whistleblower: Phoenix VA hid deaths -- The Hill
Senate report reveals a culture of crime, cover-up, and coercion within the VA -- Examiner
VA deaths covered up to make statistics look better, whistle-blower says -- CNN
Veterans neglected for years in VA facility, report says -- CNN
8 years for psych eval a 'harmless error,' VA says -- Stars and Stripes

My Comment: This scandal keeps on getting worse .... and the death toll keeps on climbing. As more misconduct continues to be disclosed .... my biggest fear is that when the final tally comes in on how many U.S. veterans have died because of poor care ..... that figure may be higher than all of the U.S. soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

Forget About Ailing Veterans The VA Tweets About…Global Warming?

Our ocean is under threat. Join people all over the world and make a difference. #OurOcean2014 http://t.co/KJ9qtbd1hl
— Veterans Affairs (@DeptVetAffairs) June 16, 2014

My Comment: The Veterans Administration’s scandal has spread nationwide, to dozens of facilities .... failing to provide basic health care to thousands of veterans .... and this is their focus?!?!?!?! I just cannot make this stuff up.

Hat Tip: Mired In a Scandal In Which Ailing Veterans Died, the VA Tweets About…Global Warming? -- PJ Media

More Shocking Details On The U.S. Veteran's Affairs Scandal Disclosed

Audit: More Than 120,000 Veterans Waiting Or Never Got Care -- CNN

Washington (CNN) -- An internal Veterans Affairs audit released Monday said tens of thousands of newly returning veterans wait at least 90 days for medical care, while even more who signed up in the VA system over the past 10 years never got an immediate appointment they requested.

The review provides a more complete picture of widespread problems at the agency's health care facilities -- as reported by CNN over the past seven months -- than preliminary findings last month that led to the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.

"This data shows the extent of the systemic problems we face, problems that demand immediate actions," said acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson, who took over after Shinseki stepped aside.

Read more ....

More News On The Growing VA Scandal

VA Appointment Delays Keep Getting Worse -- Time
100,000 veterans face long waits to see VA doctors -- USA Today
Audit shows 100,000 U.S. veterans face long waits for healthcare -- Reuters
Audit Shows 100,000 US Veterans Face Long Waits for Healthcare -- VOA
Audit Shows Extensive Medical Delays for Tens of Thousands of Veterans -- NYT
VA investigation finds 120,000 vets are waiting for their first medical visits -- CSM/AP
VA says more than 57,000 patients are waiting for first visit -- Washington Post
57,000 Vets Still Waiting for VA Care -- Daily Beast
Audit says more than 57,000 await first VA appointment -- AP
VA reportedly stopped sending teams to try to improve under-performing hospitals -- FOX News
VA audit sparks outrage in Congress over long waits for medical care -- L.A. Times
Five takeaways from Monday’s VA hearing -- Washington Post

My Comment: Welcome to the world of government mandated health care. Regular readers of this blog know that I live in Quebec where we have universal government mandated healthcare. Exactly five weeks ago my 88 year old mother had a fall that broke her wrist as well as exacerbating a painful sciatic nerve condition. Her recovery has been exemplary .... but she now needs physiotherapy. I only learned yesterday that there is a 6 month waiting list for physiotherapy .... and that is only after she has been evaluated. This is unacceptable and I am going to use a private clinic .... but for those who are unable to use alternative resources and are stuck with the government's health care system .... my sympathies. On a side note .... I grew up in the Soviet Union where we had universal health care and we were always told that we had the best healthcare system in the world .... the truth is that the health care system in the old Soviet Union would make today's VA system with all of it's scandals a model of excellent care and efficiency .... that is how bad/horrible/revolting/unacceptable/etc. socialized health care was in the Soviet Union.

The Resignation Of Secretary Of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki -- News Roundup June 1, 2014

Shinseki Resigns Amid VA Scandal Over Veterans’ Health Care -- Washington Post

Eric K. Shinseki resigned as secretary of veterans affairs Friday, apologizing for a scandal in which employees throughout the VA’s massive hospital system conspired to hide months-long wait times that veterans faced when seeking care.

The size and scope of the coverups in an agency that he had presided over for more than five years left Shinseki dumbfounded and President Obama searching for a replacement for one of his longest serving and most trusted Cabinet officials. Obama said Sloan D. Gibson, the deputy secretary of veterans affairs, will take over the VA until a new secretary is named.

In announcing Shinseki’s resignation, Obama went out of his way to describe the former Army general as a person of integrity who presided over a bureaucracy that was overwhelmed by two long wars and an aging veteran population, and which ultimately succumbed to widespread cheating to hide its shortcomings.

Read more ....

The Resignation Of Secretary Of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki -- News Roundup June 1, 2014

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigns -- Stars and Stripes
Transcript: President Obama’s remarks on resignation of VA secretary Eric Shinseki -- Washington Post
Eric Shinseki resigns over Veterans Affairs healthcare scandal -- The Guardian
Shinseki resigns over growing VA scandal -- FOX News
Shinseki Out: Obama Says He's Accepted VA Chief's Resignation -- NBC
Embattled VA chief Shinseki resigns -- USA Today
Obama under bipartisan pressure to oust Shinseki on heels of IG report -- FOX News
Heat Stays on Veterans Affairs Department After Eric Shinseki's Exit -- Wall Street Journal
Mr. Shinseki Takes the Fall -- New York Times editorial
Why Obama Should Have Stuck with Shinseki -- John Cassidy, New Yorker
Behind Eric Shinseki’s Downfall -- James Kitfield, Defense One/National Journal
After Shinseki's misrule, VA needs accountability: Column -- Darin Selnick, USA Today
Shinseki resigns, but will that improve things at VA hospitals? -- Tom Cohen, Drew Griffin, Scott Bronstein and Nelli Black, CNN
Who will replace Shinseki in the long term? -- Washington Post

My Comment: Apparently the IG report is what ultimately done him in .... someone had to take fall so the decision was made that it was him. On the flip side .... his supporters are still blaming Bush and Rumsfeld for this mess.

Democrats Are Now Calling For The Firing Of U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki

Dems Begin to Call for Shinseki To Go: ‘We Don’t Have Time!’ -- NRO

Two Democratic congressmen became the first members of their party to call for Veterans Affairs secretary Eric Shinseki’s resignation shortly after President Obama’s meeting with the embattled department head. While speaking on the House floor about a bill he co-sponsored to make it easier to fire VA officials, Representative David Scott of Georgia offered a passionate plea to address the problem and called for Shinseki’s ouster.

​”The first person we need to fire is the secretary of Veterans Affairs, Mr. Shinseki himself,” Scott said. ​”I respect his sacrifice, I respect what he did, but it’s under his watch that we’re in this situation in the hospitals.”

Scott detailed a visit to a local veterans hospital where patients were committing suicide, and accused VA officials of lying to him and covering up another incident that was later exposed.

Read more ....

Previous Post: President Obama 'Finally' Addresses The VA Hospital Scandal

My Comment: God bless Representative David Scott of Georgia (see above video) .... he is 100% right.

President Obama 'Finally' Addresses The VA Hospital Scandal

Under Pressure To Respond, Obama Addresses VA Hospital Scandal -- CBS

For the first time in three weeks, president comments on furor surrounding veterans' health care problems

Under pressure to respond to the growing scandal at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals across the country, President Obama addressed the issue for the first time in three weeks Wednesday, saying he "will not tolerate" any misconduct at the facilities that serve the nation's veterans.

"When I hear allegations of misconduct, any misconduct -- whether its allegations of VA staff covering up long wait times, or cooking the books - I will not stand for it. Not as commander in chief but also not as an American. None of us should," the president said. "If these allegations prove to be true it is dishonorable, it is disgraceful, and I will not tolerate it, period."

Read more ....

More News On President Obama's Address on The VA Hospital Scandal

Statement by the President on Veterans Health Care -- White House
Obama Vows a Forceful Response to Veteran Care Issues -- New York Times
Obama says he will get to the bottom of Veterans mess -- Reuters
Obama calls allegations of VA misconduct ‘disgraceful’ but stands by Shinseki -- McClatchy News
Obama vows to tackle VA problems, voices support for Shinseki -- FOX News
Obama on Allegations of VA Misconduct: ‘I Will Not Stand for It’ -- ABC News
Obama on VA Misconduct: 'I Will Not Tolerate It' -- NBC
Obama: Shinseki stays for now, but VA misconduct will be punished -- CNN
Obama sets timeline for VA review, defends his record on veterans -- Washington Post
An Old Officer in the Line of Fire Again: Eric Shinseki Criticized on V.A. Hospital Scandal -- New York Times
Is Obama nudging VA chief Shinseki offstage? -- Peter Grier, CSM

My Comment: I am surprised that VA Secretary Shinseki still has his job. This has been an ongoing problem for a very long time. Whistle-blowers have been punished. People have died. President Obama's vowing to tackle the problem falls short in my eyes .... we are way beyond that now.

The VA Scandal Just Got Much Worse

Exclusive: VA Scandal Hits New Hospital -- Jacob Siegel, Daily Beast

Veterans with serious heart conditions, gangrene, and even brain tumors waited months for care at the Albuquerque VA hospital, a whistleblowing doctor tells The Daily Beast.

Add Albuquerque, New Mexico’s to the growing list of VA hospitals accused of keeping secret waiting lists to hide delays for veterans seeking medical care. And it may already be too late to get to the truth and find out what harm, if any, was done to veterans there—VA officials are already destroying records to cover their tracks, a whistleblower inside the hospital tells The Daily Beast.

Last month, word broke that the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Phoenix kept a secret waiting list that allegedly led to dozens of preventable deaths. The VA’s inspector general was brought in to investigate the charges and hasn’t yet found any deaths in Phoenix linked to wait times, but his investigation is ongoing. Since then five other facilities have come under fire, leading to calls for VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to step down. And now there’s Albuquerque’s. The evidence for this new secret list may be hard to track down, however.

Read more ....

My Comment: As I had mentioned on Friday .... all signs indicate that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Update: Makes you wonder what were they doing? .... Obama warned about VA wait-time problems during 2008 transition -- Washington Times

The U.S. Veterans Scandal Is A BIG Scandal

Veterans Scandal Risks Engulfing Obama -- Financial Times

Amid contrived outrage over Benghazi and the improving fortunes of its healthcare reform, the Obama administration could be facing a genuine scandal about its treatment of military veterans that has the potential to attract broad political condemnation of its competence.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is facing mounting evidence that some of the hospitals it runs have been keeping two sets of books to make it look as if they were reducing waiting times to see a doctor.

More damning, the department is investigating the claims of a whistleblower doctor in Arizona that dozens of patients at one hospital died while they were languishing on a hidden waiting list without ever being given an appointment.

Read more ....

My Comment: I have not been giving this story the coverage that it is due .... because it is a big story. Many veterans have already died .... and the fact that we do not exactly know how many other patients/hospitals/etc. have been impacted makes me wonder if what we are seeing right now is just the tip of a very big iceberg.

How Big Is The U.S. Veteran's Affairs Waiting List Scandal?

Shocking Charges At VA Likely To Be But The Start Of An Even Worse Scandal -- Betsy McCaughey, The Sun

Washington (CNN) -- He's the leader of the Department of Veterans Affairs, which runs the VA hospitals where dozens of U.S. veterans died waiting for simple medical screenings.

Yet in the six months that CNN has been reporting on these delays, Eric Shinseki has been silent. And he hasn't spoken out on the matter to any other news organization, either.

Early Friday evening -- after this story appeared on CNN.com -- the VA gave a response, via spokesman Drew Brookie. He explained that the VA's inspector general's office (referred to as OIG), which is probing the matter, "advised VA against providing information that could potentially compromise their ongoing investigation at the Phoenix VA Health Care system."

Read more ....

More News On The VA Scandal

3 Phoenix VA officials placed on leave amid scandal -- FOX News
VA places three Phoenix executives on leave over ‘secret waiting list’ -- Washington Post
VA chief Eric Shinseki not talking about delays -- CNN
Legion Wants Shinseki, Others Out at VA -- Military.com
American Legion to call for removal of VA’s top leadership -- Washington Post
American Legion calls for resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki -- Washington Post
American Legion calls on VA chief to resign -- USA Today

My Comment: This is unbelievable .... and I suspect that it is widespread. I am shocked that VA chief Eric Shinseki still has a job.

Another Scandal At Veterans Affairs

A Fatal Wait: Veterans Languish And Die On A VA Hospital's Secret List -- CNN

(CNN) -- At least 40 U.S. veterans died waiting for appointments at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care system, many of whom were placed on a secret waiting list.

The secret list was part of an elaborate scheme designed by Veterans Affairs managers in Phoenix who were trying to hide that 1,400 to 1,600 sick veterans were forced to wait months to see a doctor, according to a recently retired top VA doctor and several high-level sources.

For six months, CNN has been reporting on extended delays in health care appointments suffered by veterans across the country and who died while waiting for appointments and care. But the new revelations about the Phoenix VA are perhaps the most disturbing and striking to come to light thus far.

Read more ....

Update: Arizona VA boss accused of covering up veterans' deaths linked to previous scandal -- FOX News

My Comment: Where is the Commander in Chief?

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Is Failing It's Veterans

 

Hospital Delays Are Killing America's War Veterans -- CNN 

Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) -- Military veterans are dying needlessly because of long waits and delayed care at U.S. veterans hospitals, a CNN investigation has found.

What's worse, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is aware of the problems and has done almost nothing to effectively prevent veterans dying from delays in care, according to documents obtained by CNN and interviews with numerous experts.

The problem has been especially dire at the Williams Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina. There, veterans waiting months for simple gastrointestinal procedures -- such as a colonoscopy or endoscopy -- have been dying because their cancers aren't caught in time.

Read more ....  

My Comment: Wow .... this report is from CNN and they are not holding back any punches. Makes you wonder if they are putting a "side dig" on Obamacare. As to what is my take .... I do not live in the U.S. so I may be wrong in my simple analysis .... but if the US government cannot take care of it's veterans .... how can something like Obamacare do any better to the general public?

A $690 Million Veterans Affairs Check

College Student Turns Over $690 Million Veterans Affairs Check -- Business Insider

A 22-year-old college student from Georgia might be the most moral person on the planet.

Allen Smith, whose father was an Air Force veteran, qualifies for a $650 education stipend that is issued monthly by the U.S. Treasury Department. But when he opened his check this month, he found a few more zeros than he was used to: More than $690,000,000.

Read more ....

My Comment: I would have cashed the check via through an ATM machine .... and see if  the money gets deposited in my account. And then I will be wondering what to do next .... hmmmm .... :)

The Department Of Veterans Affairs Is Broken

Hopelessly Broken -- Human Events

Within five to seven years, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that more than one million new veterans will enter their system, in need of disability claims processing, health care, and more.

The influx is both enormous (the VA reports it served 1.3 million veterans in total during 2011) and inevitable: with combat ending and the ranks narrowing after a decade and a half of war, many troops will begin the natural process of transitioning out of the military and returning to civilian life.

The VA that will receive them is already overburdened, battling a veterans’ claims backlog of over a decade that swept past 600,000 overdue claims just last week and shows no clear signs of improvement.

Read more ....

My Comment: With trillion dollar deficits and massive budget cuts being forecast .... it's not hard to figure out where all of this is going. A new direction needs to be taken .... but government bureaucracies have a long history of not being accommodating to change .... and I (unfortunately) expect the VA to follow this trend.

We Support The Troops — But Not In Our Backyard.

This image taken from Google Maps shows the vacant building that would house a new veterans center in San Diego.

Vet Rehab Center? Not In My Backyard! -- Stars and Stripes

A proposed rehabilitation facility for veterans in San Diego is garnering opposition from local residents who say they support the troops — just not in their backyard.

The head of one Washington-based veterans advocacy group called their opposition “shameful.”

“President Obama and the VA along with states are finally starting to do the right things to help veterans. It is shameful that someone would stand in the way,” Patrick Bellon, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, told Stars and Stripes. “They just may not want to come face to face with the consequences of the wars from which they have been so insulated, but our veterans who fought in those wars need help nonetheless. It seems wrong that 1 percent would bear the brunt of these conflicts and a community would just scoff at an opportunity to repay that sacrifice.”

Read more ....

My Comment: I expect such behavior in places like San Francisco, Manhattan, or Seattle .... neighborhoods that tend to lean "leftwards" politically and have a strong anti-war/military outlook. But San Diego has major military bases as well as having numerous vets living there ..... shameful .... now that's an understatement.

A New White House Initiative To Hire Veterans

OBAMA ADDRESS - President Barack Obama discusses a series of administration initiatives to help America's veterans find employment during a speech at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2011. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Obama Proposes Tax Credits for Hiring US Veterans -- Reuters

* Veterans struggle to find work in weak U.S. job market
* 'Returning Heroes Tax Credit' to give hiring incentive
* Siemens, Microsoft, Accenture, Lockheed Martin to help (Recasts with quotes, details, background)

WASHINGTON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday proposed $120 million in new tax credits for businesses that hire U.S. veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan at a time of stubbornly high unemployment at home.

During a visit to Washington's Navy Yard, Obama unveiled a "reverse boot camp" program to help soldiers return to civilian life and set a goal for companies to hire or train 100,000 unemployed veterans and their spouses by the end of next year.

Read more ....

My Comment: President Obama's speech is here. Throwing a few thousand dollars in tax credits to businesses is going to create zero jobs .... because for a business to hire someone, they will need a greater incentive than that .... i.e. a booming economy would help.

Cost For Caring Iraq/Afghan Vets Estimated At $1 Trillion

The $1 Trillion Tab for Caring for Iraq/Afghanistan Vets -- NextGov

Roughly 2.3 million men and women have served in the armed forces in the decade-old wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Wednesday that the nation faces a bill of between $600 billion and $1 trillion to care for them as they revert to veteran status.

The legacy of these wars, Rieckhoff said, reflects the "cumulative impacts of the multiple deployments, year after year -- a burden of many carried by few," illustrated by stark unemployment and homelessness statistics.

Read more ....

More News On The Cost Of Taking Care Of US Veterans

Cost of Treating Veterans Will Rise Long Past Wars -- New York Times
Advocates don’t want budget balanced on wounded veterans’ backs -- Washington Post
Hearing on long-term costs of war -- Washington Post
Senators try to tackle long-term costs of war -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News
10,000 veterans at risk of homelessness -- UPI
Recent war vets face risk of homelessness -- USA Today
Veterans, Servicemembers Worried About Economic Impact from Potential Default -- ABC News

Another Scandal At The VA Is Brewing

EXCLUSIVE: VA Spends Millions To Maintain Vacant And Hazardous Buildings -- FOX News

The Veterans Affairs Administration is spending tens of millions of taxpayer dollars every year to maintain hundreds of buildings – most of them vacant – that have fallen into such a state of disrepair that many of them are considered health hazards, an investigation by FoxNews.com reveals.

Exactly how much it costs to maintain the run-down and abandoned buildings is a matter of dispute. The General Accountability Office estimates that the VA has spent $175 million every year since 2007. But the VA disputes that figure, saying it spent $85 million on the buildings in 2007 and only $37 million last year.

Read more ....

My Comment: In a time of tight budgets and the cutting of programs .... we have this gem of a story. I expect that this is just one messy example in the VA among many.

More Rot At U.S. Veteran's Affairs Disclosed

Veterans Betrayed -- Reflections Magazine

Something is rotten at the Veterans Administration. Neurologist Robert Van Boven has been waging a one-man campaign for more than two years against waste, fraud and abuse of power at the VA.

In January, 2009 he was ousted as physician-Director of Veterans Affairs' Brain Imaging and Recovery Laboratory (BIRL) for traumatic brain injury (TBI) research in Austin, Texas. The neurologist has since continued to provide care for wounded warriors, but remains dismayed and outraged by what he saw and experienced: Millions in public funds designated for brain imaging research which could help troops suffering from blast-related head injuries were shamelessly and brazenly squandered.

Read more ....

My Comment: Something is telling me that this is just the tip of the iceberg.