Time for the VA to clean up its act

• Main Author: Robbins RA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Arizona Thoracic Society 2015-06-01
• Series: Southwest Journal of Pulmonary and Critical Care
• Subjects: VA; Veterans Administration; bureaucracy; budget; choice card; Robert McDonald; Sloan Gibson; VISN; central office; furlough
• Online Access: http://www.swjpcc.com/editorial/2015/6/26/time-for-the-va-to-clean-up-its-act.html

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. One year after a Veterans Affairs (VA) scandal was ignited here in Phoenix, the number of veterans on wait lists is 50 percent higher than at the same time last year, according to VA data (1). The VA is also facing a nearly $3 billion budget shortfall. VA Secretary Bob McDonald has asked for “flexibility” to reallocate billions of dollars in clinical funds to cover the shortfall. Since the scandal broke last year, VA providers have increased their workloads, adding 2.7 million more appointments than the previous year. However, the VA has played "games" with patient eligibility for years. When money was plentiful VA administrators would open the doors to patients since the following years' budgets were based on the number of patients seen. However, when money was tight, the doors would be slammed shut leaving many patients in the lurch scrambling to obtain health care elsewhere. Now it appears ...