On this #VeteransDay2018 ...short rant on the Veterans Administration...and its continued failures to our military veterans.
In August 2014, with much press celebration, Obama signed a bill (with the support of John McCain) that purported to fix the major deficiencies within the VA.
I was highly critical of the bill at the time, and I think history has proven I was right.
obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2014/08/0…
I was highly critical of the bill at the time, and I think history has proven I was right.
obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2014/08/0…
The bill increased funding for the VA, was supposed to enforced timely care for Vets, and increased funding for mental health and sexual abuse.
As for timely care...reports show the VA is, after four years, still failing significantly on major metrics.
The most important (considering the epidemic of suicides among Vets) is the failure to maintain mental health care.
consumer.healthday.com/general-health…
The most important (considering the epidemic of suicides among Vets) is the failure to maintain mental health care.
consumer.healthday.com/general-health…
The Congressionally mandated report states that the VA still fails to provide consistent, across the board quality mental health care to Vets, and that is why many are forced into private care.
Access to mental health services, according to the report, had not significantly improved since the 2014 bill.
The scandal that started this all was about erroneously reporting wait times to access VA services.
Earlier this year, a report states...we have not fixed that problem either.
economics21.org/html/continuin…
Earlier this year, a report states...we have not fixed that problem either.
economics21.org/html/continuin…
"Persistent problems with manipulation of wait-time figures could indicate that the dysfunction at the agency is more intractable than initially thought, and fixing these problems could be even more difficult."
"In the latest audit, the VA Office of Inspector General investigated wait times at the main VA medical facilities in one of the network’s 18 regions throughout the country, encompassing facilities in Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas..."
"...The investigation found that 18 percent of appointments for new patients had wait times longer than 30 days, significantly higher than the estimated 10 percent shown by the Veterans Health Administrations system. The average wait time for this 18 percent was 53 days.""
"For vets seeking new mental health or specialty care appointments, which are supposed to be the areas of expertise for VA facilities...the medical facilities did not record accurate wait times for 38% of these appointments."
"Medical facility staff inappropriately discontinued or canceled 27 percent of consultations, leading to either delays or in some cases, veterans not receiving the requested care at all."
Obama praised the accountability portion of his 2014 bill...but that too has been largely a failure.
politico.com/magazine/story…
politico.com/magazine/story…
As the above article shows, firings at the VA have increased almost 60 percent. However, only four senior leaders have been fired since the law took effect, and the vast majority of actions are against low-level staffers such as food service workers or housekeepers.
Many in the Obama administration have had a "Mission Accomplished" attitude to their actions in 2014 regarding the VA, but the evidence shows not much has really improved.
"Problems with wait-time reporting, and air of malaise and incompetency at the VA, are threatening to become so commonplace that they no longer generate the outrage that they once did."
"This would be tragic and tantamount to accepting a situation in which too many veterans still struggle to receive access to timely care, even as we approach four years from the initial scandal."
"We should not let these problems be pushed out of the American consciousness, and should instead recommit to the investigations, hearings, and reforms needed to address them. "
It is long past time to significantly improve the care our Vets get, and to start ignoring the idiotic political pressures that are preventing these fixes from happening. d
First, and foremost, is that any Vet that cannot get care in appropriate time should immediately be allowed to get that care in the local private sector facility of their choice.
There is no longer any good excuse to prevent Vets, who die at a HORRIBLE RATE from suicides, etc, to be forced to wait in line in the horribly incompetent and corrupt VA system that, after decades, still fails to respond to their needs.
Second, we need independent auditing of the VA. They have proven that their administrators are either too incompetent or too corrupt to provide accurate information regarding wait times, delayed treatment, and morbidity/mortality stats for their actions.
Third, if people are not willing to do that...start moving significant number of Vets into Medicaid or the private ACA sector.
This can't be done for all Vets (some have specific special needs) but many can be well treated in the private sector, where as the VA is failing them.
This can't be done for all Vets (some have specific special needs) but many can be well treated in the private sector, where as the VA is failing them.
Many of the things I propose here...I proposed in 2014. But many people are unwilling to give Vets the type of freedoms in health care choices that would solve many of these problems.
It is no longer worth listening to these excuses.
It is no longer worth listening to these excuses.
And absolutely cannot ignore this recent wrinkle, which probably will make things worse.
stripes.com/news/veterans/…
stripes.com/news/veterans/…
