May 30, 2014
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki stepped down today following confirmation by the VA Inspector General (IG) that secret wait-lists were used to deny veterans care in as many as 42 hospitals.
The IG report substantiated “serious conditions” at the Phoenix facility where 1,700 veterans were waiting for a primary care appointment but were not on its electronic wait list. Another 1,400 were on the official wait list and were scheduled to receive care.
Phoenix managers in effect were cooking the books to sweeten performance appraisal accomplishments, “which is one of the factors considered for awards and salary increases” according to the IG.
A survey of 226 veterans showed they waited on average 115 days for a primary care visit. This was due to discrepancies between the veteran’s appointment request and the date an actual appointment was logged in the system.
The VA health care system is the largest integrated system in the country with nearly 10 million veterans enrolled, 6.5 million seen each year, and 220,000 visits per day in 1,825 locations including 152 hospitals, 800 community based clinics and 300 veteran centers. Two million new enrollees were added in 2013 resulting in a net gain of 1.4 million new patients system wide.
The IG reported that as many as 41 other hospitals in the vast VA medical system have similar problems. The VA IG has not completed its investigation over allegations that the secret wait lists at Phoenix led to as many as 40 untimely deaths.
Shinseki pledged to fix the problems. However, trust in his effectiveness was eroding quickly among Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle, veterans, and the general public. The VA Secretary is a cabinet-level appointment of the president confirmed by the Senate.
MOAA believes that the VA’s problems present a unique opportunity to take a comprehensive, strategic look at VA health care structures, delivery systems and resources for our veterans in the 21st century. We continue to urge the creation of a high-level independent commission to examine VA health care for the benefit of our nation’s veterans and their families.
The last comprehensive review of VA health care was done nearly 20 years ago. That effort led to the transformation of the VA health system, enrollment reform, creation of over 800 VA community-based clinics, and emphasis on comprehensive and preventive care for veterans. Until the mid-90s, the VA was mostly known for repairing veterans’ war wounds but not providing complete care.