Despite supposed reforms, VA still has significant delays in treating veterans. Then, falsify documents to hide the delays. Congress instituted the Choice program to allow the vets to seek private medical care to combat the delays. Trust VA to screw that up -- probably intentionally. They’ve delayed issuing the cards. Then, delayed paying the doctors – delayed so long that care was stopped. VA doesn’t want the program and is doing what it can to kill it. Time to flush the VA of supervisors and others found not doing their jobs. Place the Choice program under a supervisor who’s position depends upon its success. End the bureaucratic sinecures.
Bernie and others want a single payer program for all of us. (Something no nation has successfully implemented). Yet, can’t even handle such a program for our vets.
“VA bosses in 7 states manipulated vets' wait times for care
WASHINGTON — Supervisors instructed schedulers to falsify patient wait times at Veterans Affairs' medical facilities in at least seven states, according to newly released investigation reports from the department’s inspector general.
The manipulation gave the false impression that the facilities in Arkansas, California, Delaware, Illinois, New York, Texas and Vermont were meeting VA performance measures for shorter wait times.”
http://www.usatoday.com/story/...n-veterans/82726634/
“GOFFSTOWN — The promise was a simple card that would allow nearly all New Hampshire veterans to get their VA health care from their local doctors or hospitals.The reality is a system where veterans — and even a hospital administrator — said they’ve experienced delays, confusion and red tape...“They call it the Choice plan, but there is no choice. You gotta go where they tell you,” said Navy veteran Albert Belhumeur, of Manchester.Nearly 200 veterans and their family members gathered at St. Anselm College on Tuesday to voice their frustrations with the Choice program, which was part of the VA reform legislation that President Obama signed last year”. - See more at: http://www.unionleader.com/app...sthash.qmj9PBR5.dpuf
“Unpaid Bills
Marine veteran Jim Bancroft is angry. He’s angry it took more than a year for him to be referred to see a specialist and, now, he’s angry that problems with the VA Choice Program has forced one private specialist to say it cannot treat him for any new problems.
Bancroft was diagnosed with several spine- and nerve-related conditions, among other things, in the fall 2014 but doctors at the Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, S.C. didn’t refer him to a specialist for more than a year.
Instead, it took months of pleading and a call to his congressman to get a specialist referral.
“That’s unacceptable,” Bancroft said. “That’s not healthcare. That’s complete neglect and it has nothing to do with my veteran status. It has to do with neglect of a patient.”
Bancroft finally got an appointment to see a doctor at Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates through the Choice Program in December.”
http://www.wbtv.com/story/3128...t-va-medical-centers