WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration’s decision to allow more veterans to get care at private hospitals could take some pressure off backlogged Veterans Affairs facilities struggling to cope with new patients from the wars on terrorism as well as old soldiers from prior conflicts.
Agreeing to recommendations from lawmakers, the administration said Saturday it will allow more veterans to obtain treatment at private hospitals and clinics in an effort to improve care.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki also said VA facilities are enhancing capacity of their clinics so veterans can get care sooner. In cases where officials cannot expand capacity at VA centers, the Department of Veterans Affairs is “increasing the care we acquire in the community through non-VA care,” Shinseki said.
Lawmakers from both parties have pressed for this policy change as the VA confronts allegations about treatment delays and falsified records at VA centers nationwide.
The department’s inspector general says 26 VA facilities are under investigation, including the Phoenix VA hospital, where a former clinic director says as many as 40 veterans may have died while awaiting treatment.
Officials also are investigating claims that VA employees have falsified appointment records to cover up delays in care. An initial review of 17 people who died while awaiting appointments in Phoenix found that none of their deaths appeared to have been caused by delays in treatment.
The allegations have raised fresh concerns about the administration’s management of a department that has been struggling to keep up with the influx of veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Vietnam veterans needing more care as they age.
The directive announced Saturday should make it easier for veterans to get medical care at non-VA facilities, according to an agency spokeswoman.
The VA spent about $4.8 billion last year on medical care at non-VA hospitals and clinics, spokeswoman Victoria Dillon said. That amounts to about 10 percent of health care costs for the Veterans Health Administration, the agency’s health care arm.
It was not clear how much the new initiative would cost, Dillon said.
Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla, chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, welcomed Shinseki’s announcement, but questioned why it took so long. Reports about the veterans at the Phoenix hospital surfaced more than a month ago.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has called for the VA to allow more veterans to receive medical care at private hospitals. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said this past week that she was open to the idea of medical care at private hospitals.
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All articles about VA health care should begin with the fact that Republicans filibustered/defeated legislation that would have solved most, if not all, problems with health care for veterans. If John McCain joined the filibuster, that should be noted as well.
It’s about time somebody came to this logical solution. I am retired military and have used the VA for years, the care they have provided has always been good and I have always been treated well, but it took me a full year to get an appoinment when I first went into the system and they are completely overwhelmed by the patient load and lack of physicians.
What legislation did Republicans filibuster/defeat that would have solved most, if not all, of the problems with healthcare for veterans?
Fine, blame Republicans all you want. But, where was the administration during all of this? Where was their oversight?
Carney said they learned about this problem from media reports. Which is not surprising since that’s how Obama usually learns about his administration’s shortcomings.
At my company, we have these events we call “meetings” to discuss important issues with our management and customers. Sometimes, they are called “reviews.” We also use something called “email” to communicate information that others need to know in a timely fashion.
So, instead of monitoring news reports, I suggest Obama and his staff regularly “meet” with the department heads and staffs of his administration and find out what’s going on. Maybe, Obama could sent out an “email” and ask that if anyone has something important that he should know about, to “email” him the information.
All it took was a few deaths and national media exposure to get anything done, thanks bureaucracy!
(Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans blocked legislation on Thursday that would have expanded federal healthcare and education programs for veterans, saying the $24 billion bill would bust the budget.
Just google* “republican filibuster of VA support”. This is just the first one that popped up. Republicans deserve the blame. They also filibustered support for increased security for BENGAZI but they don’t acknowledge any of their obstruction, nor do they own up to all the massive harm they inflict on our country on a daily basis.
*I’m assuming you know how to google since you are so proud that you know about the email.