‘Decades old problem’ exacerbates benefits backlog for veterans

[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.

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[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

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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

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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."

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[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.

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[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

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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

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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]

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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

 

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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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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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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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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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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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'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.

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