Report: Veterans Affairs Falsified Wait Times, Thousands Impacted
The Department of Veterans Affairs was just caught falsifying wait times for almost one thousand veterans who were wrongfully denied Veterans Choice Program access.
VA OIG recently published a report outlining its findings and recommendations concerning new patients at VA medical centers and their wait for access to health care. While VA’s own wait time scheduling system shows 10 percent of veterans wait longer than 30 days, IG’s evaluation revealed an estimated 18 percent of veterans are waiting longer than 30 days.
As a result of the findings, IG concluded VA is publishing inaccurate information based on VISN 15 staff failed to record the correct clinically indicated appointment date. Instead, schedulers are recording “preferred date” or “actual appointment date” which results in many hundreds of veterans not being considered for Veterans Choice Program access despite waiting longer than 30 days for an appointment.
RELATED: VA Busted For Falsifying Mental Health Numbers
Mental Health Wait Times
The numbers are even worse for veterans seeking mental health care where veterans wait times were not accurately recorded 38 percent of the time. Approximately 5,300 of 13,900 new patient appointments were not accurately recorded related to wait times. Of those, 2,500 appointments had wait times over 30 days.
RELATED: Foreign Google-owned Company To Access Vet Genomic Data
VISN 15 Facilities Evaluated
VISN 15 medical facilities audited for the report were:
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital (Columbia, Missouri)
- John J. Pershing VA Medical Center (Poplar Bluff, Missouri)
- Kansas City VA Medical Center (Kansas City, Missouri)
- Marion VA Medical Center (Marion, Illinois)
- Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center (Wichita, Kansas)
- VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System (Leavenworth and Topeka, Kansas)
- VA St. Louis Health Care System (St. Louis, Missouri)
Breakdown Of Appointments
The IG report broke down the appointments as follows:
- Of the approximately 780 mental health care appointments, the OIG estimated 150 (19 percent) had wait times greater than 30 days with an average wait time of 42 days for those 150 appointments. This compared to an estimated less than 7 percent in VHA’s electronic scheduling system that showed as greater than 30 days.
- Of the approximately 13,000 specialty care appointments, the OIG estimated 2,400 (18 percent) had wait times greater than 30 days with an average wait time of 54 days for those 2,400 appointments.7 This compared to an estimated 1,300 of 13,000 specialty care appointments (10 percent) that VHA’s electronic scheduling system showed as greater than 30 days.
Staff at the various facilities failed to appropriately implement VHA scheduling requirements. The facilities further failed to conduct audits to catch such errors in part because the facilities in question failed to fill vacancies for auditors. When such audits were conducted, the results were not shared with schedulers to help them improve.
RELATED: AFGE Demands Audit Of TriWest Over $90 Million Mismanagement
Leaders Relied On False Data
IG indicated the falsification of data impacted decisionmaking by leaders in VHA and VISN 15:
As a result, VHA and VISN 15 leaders relied on wait time data that did not always represent how long veterans were waiting for care. An accurate measurement of wait time is essential to identify veterans who are eligible for treatment through Choice. Of the estimated 2,500 appointments with wait times greater than 30 days, staff entered a date other than the clinically indicated date for an estimated 1,200 appointments (47 percent), which made it appear as though the wait time was 30 days or less. Of those 1,200, the OIG estimated that staff did not identify about 970 appointments (82 percent) in which the patient should have been offered the option of receiving care in the community through Choice.
VISN 15 Specialty Consultations
IG also concluded VISN 15 staff failed to consistently schedule specialty consultations. Medical facility staff inappropriate discontinued or canceled an estimated 27 percent of consultations. This includes appointments for colonoscopies.
RELATED: VA Suicide Prevention Strategy March Rollout
Report Executive Summary From VA OIG
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) assessed the reliability of wait time data and evaluated whether Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 15 provided timely access to health care within its medical facilities and through Choice, and whether they appropriately managed consults.
The OIG estimated that new patients waited an average of about 18 days, and 18 percent of the appointments for new patients at VISN 15 facilities had wait times longer than 30 days. This was higher than the estimated 10 percent that the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) electronic scheduling system showed. Staff did not correctly record clinically indicated dates for about 38 percent of the new patient appointments, which understated wait times by about 15 days. Inaccurate wait time data resulted in veterans not being identified as eligible for Choice. With respect to veterans in VISN 15 who received care through Choice, the OIG estimated that the overall average wait time was 32 days. The audit estimated that 41 percent of the appointments had wait times longer than 30 days, and those veterans waited an average of 58 days. Facilities did not have adequate procedures to monitor the aging of veteran referrals from facilities to TriWest, and did not consistently monitor the aging of the authorized Choice care. Regarding consults, facility staff discontinued or canceled an estimated 27 percent inappropriately, which led to veterans experiencing additional delays, or not receiving the requested care. Clinicians and staff were still unclear on specific consult management procedures. The Office of Healthcare Inspections identified clinical concerns with six patients, and determined that one patient likely had an adverse outcome as a result of a delay in care. The OIG made 11 recommendations—three to the Office of the Under Secretary for Health and eight to the VISN 15 Director. VHA and VISN 15 provided responsive action plans.
RELATED: Lawmakers Say Health Net Doing ‘Miserable’ Job On Veterans Choice
Veterans impacted by these falsifications through intentional disregard of mandatory reporting resulting in delayed access to care should let us know what’s going on. Definitely, let us know below.
My case was falsified by the Regional Office placing wrong information on the VACOLS giving the Board illegal jurisdiction and caused me problems for 28 years now. Still fighting and even got proof the Acting Chairman of Board Laura Eskanski (Spell) lied in a letter to me and this letter has never been corrected but have a CAVC Court Order from Judge Lance stating the letter was inaccurate the Board did rule before the mandate so this means the Board has no jurisdiction and that decision should be invalid. But they are using it to deny my case again. Wrong doings with time tables and lies, Anyone is crazy iff theythink the A will help them and correct this mess. They won’t for I have been trying and Congressman Aderholt even won’t help me anymore because he says that the Ethics Committee won’t let him – What about the VA violating Ethics – Congress is saying this is okay. President Trump needs to know and get on top of helping our servicemen, widows, and orphans.
That is why I went FTCA under the 5th and section 4 of the 14th.
if you go to “Hadit.com” you can look up my article posting my case.
“https://community.hadit.com/forums/topic/71374-tort-claim-in-u-s-district-court/”
Berta has posted an article just below it. Need help filing the SF-95 let me know here
T: You are deflecting because of your delusional and mentally ill mind set, and have said a dozen things that you assume, but are ALL untrue! First of call, it is YOU who is licking the south cavity of total scum like SHRILL-ARY, and it must be stinky THERE beyond belief! I hope you have your industrial strength can of Glade air freshener up there with you! Secondly, I am not new here at ALL, and have posted many times, but I go many months without posting because some of the people here (hint hint) use tortured logic, spelling, and grammar, which makes their posts worthless to read. I suspect that YOU may be the newbie here! Be advised that I hate Starbucks and their CEO, and NEVER drink their inferior and overpriced coffee! I am also WAY to the right of Adolf Hitler, Genghis Khan, and Charlemagne COMBINED! I do agree with a couple of your tenets however. We are being worked to death by both parties, which is why I am an independent, and our punk ass, coward, and traitor military and cop structure has violated it’s collective oath, by abandoning it’s people, country, flag, and CONSTITUTION by abandoning the American people, and forcing sick, old, and disabled veterans to actually contemplate putting their lives on the line, and making military war against this jewish and commie government, so that our people can once again be free! BTW, DUMB ass, I have NEVER used drugs, don’t smoke, and am a VERY light drinker, (one or two beers a day) so, you are WRONG on this, like everything ELSE! Drugs killed my entire family, and I am the ONLY survivor. Just what are YOU smoking or mainlining!?
Same in El Paso. Took me several months to get an appointment to both see my PC doctor and to see Mental Health. No Choice offered. No “What is your desired date to be seen?”. Simply put, the clerks response was “Our next opening is _____”. Take it out leave it
I presented suicidal at the Phx VA med center, and have been fighting for sub acute care since December. I was sent home denied for a transfer for subacute care. In Jan they went in and manually terminated my Choice eligibility. I presented suicidal again four weeks ago, and the employees from my VA advised the civilian hospital caseworker not to advocate for my care. Directed them not to request an inpatient transfer to a subacute facility. Just acted as if secondary authorization requests didn’t exist. I was discharged that second time and sent home. A consult was just accomplished yesterday for the care. I have little confidence I will get the care in the 45 day women’s trauma program. I’m 100 percent service connected for PTSD MST (mainly) I’ve overdosed in the past several times from 2005 to 2008. I don’t want to go back down that road. I’ve never had residential treatment. I’m in personal crisis. I’m OIF/OEF. I already lost my children due to a six year delay in getting adequate compensation. (CUE) Now this. I have a medical retirement but because I receive Medicare I can’t use Tricare prime, which the facility takes. There is no subacute specialized care that is accessible through Medicare. I’ve called OIG Patient Advocate Congresswoman Senator White House hotline. Fingers crossed the consult is followed through upon. I doubt it tho. They’re probably just posturing and looking for a loophole. Would like to know the reg that applies to Choice so I can continue to write informed letters. (If I’m up to it) Or I’ll just give up trying. And not try to go back to school or work. And wait for them to terminate my benefits some day.
Can you prove VA interference in your health care? If so, contact your local news media outlet and start blasting it. Mention the fact that you’ve gotten nowhere with the government at any level and your in dire straights. It’s amazing how quickly folks get off their asses when the optics are bad…
Nothing new, They had ,\me on wait time instead of CHOICE for 7 months
I would love to hear from any reader’s advice on my available options. Preferably not someone from VAHC trying to make their concerns about any future Follow up Surveys, Funny they don’t send Surveys to the people they deny access to care, threaten, black ball (flag), Not even return phone calls.
I have been lied to for 6 years. First, I was told of a Wonderful New Women’s Clinic. Took 4 months to get the appointment, (not given a CHOICE option). Appointment was a disaster and the most Disrespectful MD I have ever had. Secondly, I have been told from Primary Care MD and Mental Health, I should go out buy an HMO plan (I have 100% SC). When I explained that I cannot afford to do this, with co pays, plus paying for Medications for Injuries sustained doing my job in the Military; no VA pt. advocate for help, no Congressman even following up with complaints. Thirdly, response to requiring a Specialist, which was granted by Primary Care to CHOICE. Once established, VAHC denied me further access to Specialist, and Director of VA Dept. stated “I don’t know you ever received the CHOICE option but you will never get it again.”
Fourthly, VAHC has repeatedly wanted me to travel 5 hours to be seen for any Speciality Clinic, and has threatened discontinuing my Medications if I do not present. I do not drive and rely on ParaTransportion system. Instead of making my life easier through CHOICE, WHICH IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO, I have been given ultimatums. I firmly believe that these denials are direct response to VAHC Administrators wanting to retain those CHOICE dollars, as in the past, will result in “Discretionary Spending” i.e. Bonuses to those that kept the Money in House and more Government vehicles for Administrators to use, Art Work for VA Bldgs? Really? No accountability. No one cares about our Health at VA, Congressional level, not even responses from White House Hotlines.
Liz about the only thing I can tell you to do is look up your states resources for the uninsured and try that route. The bottom line is if you need help then get that help by whatever means and deal with the bullshit later. If you have the means to record calls then record, check your state laws on the subject. Get these fucks on record as dicking you over then go from there.
oh, and so what? will the OIG make a recommendation? BFD. doesn’t help me.
sovereign, hell no the OIG won’t help you, even if you have solid proof they tried to murder you. The OIG’s job, is to cover the VA’s ass, and to harass any whistle blowers.
When you come across discrepancies, like you mentioned with appointments, missed calls, etc. keep a copy of your phone bill for that month to show they never called. What you discovered on your own, is exactly how the wait list game is played.
You never know when you may need the evidence of your phone bill, just to mention one, as it can become relevant in another ten years. This happened to me, I had proof of wrong doing by my pcp, but unfortunately the phone company only keeps records going back a few years, and certainly never ten years, and that is the time frame I needed to prove what I was talking about, the end result? I was shit out of luck.
Who the hell has the foresight, to save shit that you don’t have a clue would be needed many years later? That is the kind of animal the VA is.
great idea cj– thanks for the heads up!
Muskogee, OK VA: yesterday– VA cancelled a neurologist appt. Ive had for three weeks and rescheduled for two weeks later (keeping under the 30 day mark). Also, pretended that they had set up a MRI brain scan for TBI since both my CT scan and EEG were abnormal. I only happened to notice on healthevet that they documented on MARCH 7th that I had not responded to phone calls or a letter sent in FEB. I never received a phone call OR a letter. I’m home all day and check the mail every day. My PCP requested the MRI in January. Now they say I have to start all over with another request from my PCP. I have an appt. with her in late April AFTER the neurologist appt.
WC, I went in to talk to a VSO only one time, and that was back in 82, the fuckwad was full of shit then, and I have never been back. I take care of my own shit, with the exception of a Veterans Advocacy Group that is funded by the county, and not the VA. And that is only for limited reasons. Way to many Veterans out there getting the shaft by being fed misinformation. Once they are told they can’t, or are not eligible, then they drop the matter because they actually believe the shit. We all need to be vigilant and keep an ear open, and give a helping hand to those that have been wronged, we are bound by the same dotted line we all signed to do so.
I even go fishing with a dotted line, yeah I know, I only catch every other fish, but what the hell man? <0)))))X
Gotta get ready for an appointment in the private sector.
Later Gators-!ii!-
The last time I used a VSO was DAV 4 years ago. Fuck those assholes with a sandpaper dildo. DAV CEO is a guy I wouldn’t mind punching in the face for an evening of fun and entertainment.
Cheyenne gave me a “medication appointment” instead of a PTSD therapist within the 30 day limit. It took another 30 days to get assigned Choice and now my Choice therapist is cutting me loose because of non-payment.
Off topic:
I was talking with a Vietnam Veteran, at a party over the weekend, She said to me, she does not use the VA, because she was told (she wasn’t old enough), have you ever heard such BS in your entire life? and yes, she really is a Veteran.
What useless VSO made such a fucking claim to her? All these years and she has never used the VA, I agree, it probably saved her life a few times, but that is another story. How many others are out there, that have been told the same shit?
Sure makes you wonder, just when you thought you heard it all…………………………………what other BS has been fed to Veterans that we have no idea about?
If you are a Veteran, and have been fed some kind of BS, as your not allowed to use the VA, or you know of a Veteran who has been told such BS, please notify them, if they are not familiar with Bens blog, ,or if you are the actual Veteran this was told to,, then post your story here for all of us to read.
In fact, just start posting any BS, misinformation that has been fed to you about anything having to do with the VA, or your benefits, let’s see how deep this rabbit hole is.
The problem is most of of them are useless VSO’s that’s the trouble right there. Some scumbag who doesn’t know what their talking about making shit up to feed a vulnerable veteran. Meanwhile some shit stain of a fucking worthless human being sits at the top of the heirarchy making 600k + a year. Makes me wanna vomit.
The only way to fix falsifying appointment scheduling data is to design a system in which veterans choose the appointments, and some AFGE thug is completely removed from manipulating the data.
This could be done now through the MyHealthEVet site. If a vet is assigned to a VA such as Denver, then the vet should have access to Denver’s scheduling calendar for all clinics their records indicate they need to be seen in. A female wouldn’t need access to the prostate clinic, and a male wouldn’t need access to the OBGYN clinic.
The vet views appointments available and chooses a date and time. That chosen date appears for all veterans showing the appointment is taken. The vet can choose to wait beyond 30 days, or click a button opting for Choice if longer than 30 days.
As long as any VA employee has control over scheduling, they will manipulate it for their own benefit.
As for the IG report, one can only hope it will trickle down to other VISNs, but I doubt it. The IG sampled VISN 15 and gave them recommendations. I bet every VA in the country could use the same recommendations.
Its interesting to see the IG is FINALLY looking at how long vets are waiting to see someone after being referred to Choice. I have said before, once the vet is referred to Choice, the VA forgets all about the vet and whether they were seen.
I was referred to Choice during my annual check-up on Feb 6th for nerve block injections. I can tolerate the pain most days, so I haven’t been calling the VA or the provider to find out what is happening with that appointment.
As of today, there has been zero contact from the VA or the provider. Given the way Choice bills have not been paid, maybe the provider is still waiting for bill payment from 2 years ago.
The VA where the doctors unconsciously pick boogers from their noses when asked real world questions.
Lmaoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, to true…
Time to shatter the union cookie jar, and hand out Veterans health care cards. End result? No more union retirements, dues or wages paid, no building maintenance costs, no new building budgets, or utility costs, or supply budgets, no grounds maintenance budgets, in fact, the savings would be so substantial that every single Veteran can get a streamlined claim through, with C+P’s being done by “real” professionals, have access to the best doctors and hospitals. We could afford to house and feed every single homeless Veteran, and still have tens of billions left over.
There is absolutely no downside to shutting the VA down, except there would be a whole lot of unemployed teet suckers at the AFGE, and all those useless doctors would have to find a real job, with real accountability. Buh bye nurse Cratchet…
And for those engorged administrators? there is absolutely no place in society for your condescending, racist bitch asses, go to the nearest parking lot and send it to your temple. Nobody will miss you, and there will be more air for the rest of us to breath.
Drain the swamp, shut it down, stop murdering Veterans, Veterans Lives Matter.
Sell all the medical equipment to N. Korea,…. to them it would be state of the art. lmaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
I know there is something wrong with that first paragraph, but I can’t figure out what it is. Anyway, you get my point…..
Couple things here.
First, veterans ARE again dying, due to illegal wait times! Because, employees at VHA’s are manipulating them – again!
Secondly, WHY is this occurring?
a) Bonuses!
b) it keeps vets in the system!
c) thereby, disallowing use of choice! VA’s “piggy bank”!
d) keeps VA upper managements & VSO’s in that “piggy bank”!
e) the “piggy bank” IS the Choice Program!
f) allows the VA upper managements and VSO’s do exactly what they want; ie: Keep the VA from being “PRIVATIZED!” AND – Use the Choice Program monies for their own private use! (Could this be HOW the VSO’s upper echelon and VA’s upper echelon get to receive private healthcare?)
We, on this and other sites, know the upper echelons of VA and VSO’s don’t use VHA for their healthcare. Where do they go?
Oink! Oink! You got that right Crazy elf, it’s all about that “piggy bank” and access to it, but more importantly, keeping the flow a steady flow with no accountability means the cookie jar has logistics problems.
Only so many fatback hands can fit inside at same time so RAND Corp. recommends widening the opening and doing away with the lid and the bottom to the cookie jar altogether. All for the Vets… (oink)
Sorry, in a mood today. I do not think the VA or Uncle Sugar has any desire to change the VA whatsoever when that slurry/slush- fund is SO MUCH fun to wallow and bask in like Uncle Scrooge and his Money Bank.
(oink)
Elf, they all get special care and opportunities like McCain gets and many others too. Like Congress critters.
They think smoke, mirrors, adding more to the same damn problems are going to cure everything. While ignoring the obvious or grievances.
No contractors or who are mentioned. Going to be more of the same old contractors like Humana or some other death squad insurance comapany headed up by Marx-Fem “professionals” to lessen the questioning and complaints?
The driving to major hospitals far away, Choice card games, stupid rules will still apply. So will the nepotism, activist, VA, government, the state’s and town’s loyalist/mafia/cliques/unions/lefty health care academics, to far left Identity Politics hirings stay in place. These and more will just be brick and mortar facades of hate, gaming, revolving doors for incoming med students/kiddies, incompetence, real MDs that can’t stand the VA way then leave, and all other deeply ingrained bull shit applies. Well defended of course.
“https://www.wthitv.com/content/news/Plans-move-forward-to-bring-VA-clinic-to-Terre-Haute-470981003.html”
“https://www.wthitv.com/content/news/Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods-opens-new-health-clinic-on-campus–474322793.html”
“https://schoolconstructionnews.com/2018/01/03/isu-unveils-first-phase-plans-health-human-services/”
Killing, destroying minds, pushing phony DSM shit for all. No negatives just smiles and plenty of dope to dumb down the public and kiddies. “The Stand.” ‘trash they’ll put you in that nut house up in Terre Haute, Trash.”
“https://www.hamiltoncenter.org/locations/vigo-county/”
Older link but these mini clinics, walk-ins, etc., are popping up all over the place and several in college towns I guess to train the many activist and to treat their own with higher standards of care. Including the bull shit activist groups like Eskenazi, the charities, Fransiscans, college kiddies on all campuses, etc.
‘Clinics popping up inside pharmacies’
“https://indianaeconomicdigest.com/Main.asp?SectionID=31&ArticleID=65260”
“https://aaucm.org/about/news/newsdetail.aspx?a=10492”
“https://www.nwitimes.com/business/healthcare/franciscan-alliance-partners-with-cvs-pharmacy/article_0513d877-e0cc-5686-98d5-e5b23f9c4492.html”
“https://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-things-walk-in-clinics-wont-tell-you-2012-11-02”
Can’t find any links to the news around here for special clinics and health care for city/county/union/politicians. Aside from the ones who get special care because of having spouses, connections in the local health care fields. Who get golden care, many times free care, and plenty of shit for the serfs. ‘Let them eat bread’ and be test rats or revenue for the demons. Or we can play targets for activist retaliation and retrebution tactics. Practice makes perfect ya know.
More special care for the college connected. Again not for us low life/townies. Last report on more special clinics for certain people locally made no sense all, and missed the finer points of. Or what we are allowed to know. It was more about only certain people in the health care fields, or employees only crap. Of course, spoken on TV no links on their news sites.
Then the big push to help the addicted, , mentally ill, foster kids, illegals, to stop all the countless youth committing suicide, the merging of them all to help the peeps, more BS and more big bucks for the corrupt scum, phony non-profits, or “professionals.” Oh and much more to stop all the school yard and college bullying. Ha. while school admin, government, the PC, et al, are the biggest most corrupt bullies on the block. The Satan worshiping filth and spawns. OH and the small inclusion of lowly vets can crawl in for info too, and those lowly stupid males getting breast cancer that can’t get what the female half can attain in care or support in a far lefty global village of lies. Cough cough. Symbiosis, parasites, circus, the pyramid of life… or sliding down the dull razor blade of life if a targeted vet or civilian pain in their ass over corruption and deceit. Especially living under college campus rules, or Demorat/Repuke police state areas.
Pity so much is scrubbed from the net or never makes it there. Thanks Trump and the rest of you lying loser phony trash.
In the nutshell in my universe, as I comprehend things: “Put simply they don’t want to work or assist a veteran in need.” (quoting Ex VA above)
Definition of VA Lackadaisical Fucks:
Lackadaisical Fucks: “1)Lacking vitality and purpose, 2) Lazy or Idle, 3) Losing sight of original mission of assisting Veterans, 4) Creatively Indifferently Lazy(waitlists or even shredding claim files), 5) Bearing an attitude of an indolent lazy fuck, 6) Uppity Assholes, 7) Lasquisha thanking you for your service with a bile smile…VA Lackadaisical Fucks.
Did I miss any of the fine attributes the AFGE has brought to the VA in ass-isting Veterans?
Yes nam, you missed one.
Some AFGE thugs view certain veterans as having “white privilege”.
Ahh, yes, that newly surfaced human trait that tends to blame everyone for generations while never considering the four fingers pointing back may have identified the area needing reconstruction all along.
(I kind of covered it with #7 and LaSquisha and her bile smile…) 😀
Glad to see Lasquisha is still alive and kicking…I was beginning to worry about the old gal. One can only starve for so long.
So in a nutshell OIG is reporting that VA cannot be trusted as a source of reliable information about what they are doing?
Well, isn’t that just the most Earth shattering news in decades?
Like i have stated before these wait times are created in the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and clinics. These are intentional acts and the manipulation of the scheduling system. With no real accountability requirements required of the doctors or providers. The scheduling managers know the system’s weakness and intentionally exploit it. The service line chiefs know the system well as some providers of care do too.
In mental health the real dangers are veterans who are in crisis and cannot get the help they need by a controlled system by providers who do not want to deliver care to them. Put simply they don’t want to work or assist a veteran in need.
This problem is nationwide, throughout the clinics all thru the veteran affairs medical centers and clinics. There is reporting data that shows that pattern. No official wants to look at that data and those providers failing the veterans in their clinics.
Report it as an employee and you will live to regret it. Write letters to officials and you will get no response. It is a failed system that benefits the few. It benefits providers of medical care that do not want to treat Veterans with medical treatment. This manipulated system could be fixed but those requirements of work are unreachable because that is what these providers want is a free lunch at the taxpayers expense.
The problem with clinic providers getting their free lunch is that it can be at the cost sometimes of a Veterans life. And i believe it to be much more than what is reported. Because some reporting data can be manipulated or delayed thru the vamc’s quality assurance. Otherwise, explain how can these same issues return in different medical centers in different parts of the country????
I do have a tip to tell the vaoig. Don’t tell them your intentions of doing an audit weeks before going to a vamc. This gives them too much time to shred documents and counsel supervisors on what to say when being audited. VAOIG you fail to prosecute and hold doctors and providers of care accountable and i guess that is something you are a custom to do. The agency fails because you fail to act and i believe that is the future of the Department of Veteran Affairs. I wish to God it was not the intent. The acts show the intentions and the reality of the corrupt probably will continue long after this post is forgotten and lost.
If you know of a Veteran in crisis take them to an emergency room in the private sector. Save their life, their life is worth saving. They sacrifice their lives for us and continue to do so. Our Veterans and military members need help like everyone else does sometimes, save their life. They deserve the best medical care available. Not substandard care or care given by someone who wants their free ride on the taxpayers dime.
Severe anxiety? Eat two bananas and call VA in the morning. I wouldn’t recommend VA mental health care for any veteran. Save up and buy a plane ticket to a place out of the country, get the health care you deserve, than fly back. The American model of health care is garbage, a steaming pile of shit care is what it should be called. The VA is the definition of gigo,
The VA would have to be destroyed in order for it to be saved.
Good to “see” you Ex VA.
Compare the vague words couched to hide things in bureaucratic language in this report to the IG report on Shulkins travel.
The language used in the reports becomes much more clear depending on who might be watching.
Advance apologies, for this is mostly off today’s topic.
Some observations and maybe a few puzzle pieces with an assortment of rhetorical questions thrown in, cuz I like it like that!
In your VAMCasino charts, have any of you ever been referred to as ‘pt’ or ‘patient’? If so, was it scrubbed and replaced with ‘vet’?
Does your ‘Problem List’ contain even one definative diagnosis? Or, does it reflect a ‘slot machine’ of symptoms?
How many your symptoms have their very own prescription?
It appears the VAMCasino pcp’s are better described as ‘dealer’, and I’ll just let each of you define that as suits your needs.
Back when you had to hand carry your records from one same day appointment to the next, I’ll wager your ‘special’ clinic provider(s) kept their own stash of your care… and they have yet to make it into your complete medical file, ergo they likely never will. Now, throw in multiple ‘special’ clinic providers you have seen at more than one VAMCasino location and don’t dare forget that each of them have their own autonomous system for every department and aspect of operation within their own facility! The many incarnations of EHR’s within different VISN’s creates even further confusion in records gathering, especially over decades of care. Oh, before I forget, never ask any questions! It is nobody’s job to give you useful/timely information but, you had better know all aspects of everything that relates to your visit at each autonomous VAMCasino location you would require.
I think it is safe to assume that all University connected VAMCasino’s will use students at every possible academic level. If when you go to ‘primary’ clinic and you have never once seen your assigned clinic provider, rather a revolving assortment of deer-in-the-headlights persons with a sheet of ‘official’ paper for notes, congratulations, you have students for your optimal and individualized care! Because they are students, you will never get a diagnosis! Even if you ask to see your listed ‘primary’ clinic provider you will likely never lay eyes on that person! The name stitched on a lab coat should not be counted on as identification of the person you requested (or are required) to see; ask to look at their pictured identification card and trust not one of the introductions otherwise.
Yes, at every VAMCasino you are on a mission; a RECON mission… get trained and jealously watch your six. This reminds me, at the designated ‘specialty’ clinic of any University connected VAMCasino you will likely be broadcast/filmed/recorded into a training room for all of the inhabitants to learn and notate/record each of the most private disclosures you will make to the student practitioner assigned for your visit. This could occour at every appointment/contact throughout the system.
Does it strike anyone as odd that your pcp rarely if ever, makes any diagnosis regarding your health? Everything is always a ‘complaint’ and there may never be a sufficient listing to assist at the ‘special’ clinic referral for issues recorded to gain a diagnosis. It is unfortunate that too many pcp’s (and other providers as well) rely on transcribers to write their clinic notes. This I think by itself, may be a factor behind the way too often and way too rediculous notes mentioned found recorded into many veterans patient records.
For another example, the ‘special’ clinic provider states “..read(ing) vets full chart..” but, translates to mean (‘most recent entry, maybe the last two, from pcp only’) and they may have never read some entries from former visits to related ‘special’ providers. For example, ‘special’ clinic A wants a consult from ‘special’ clinic B about your situation and ‘special’ clinic B has two or three items noteded for your care. It is possible that ‘special’ clinic A will only record part, if any of ‘special’ clinic B’s items into their own assessment of your care. This may not be the direct notations from the ‘special’ clinic provider you visited but entered by a transcriber. Your pcp only sees what clinic A provides into the record and may not know of or look into clinic B’s notations, trusting/relying solely on clinic A to provide accurate feedback. This situation can happen with lab reports, radiology reports among others.
Just how much freedom do transcribers have in notating patient records? It should be required that all VHA medical practitioners/providers make their own patient notes into their veteran patients records, always and without exception! Additionally, it should be required that all veterans’ providers/transcribers refer to veterans as PATIENTS in all medical records and communications among staff members orally and written, and this at all times without exception. It rankles me to know that civilians are always patients in medical care but, veterans are never referred to as such anymore. Could you imagine a civvy medical record stating “the welder c/o…”!
Ben, sk, elf and others have way too often found proven cases of maltreatment toward veteran patients. This pattern forces me to agree that there are disgruntled employees creating havoc within veterans records solely for their own entertainment regardless of how devistating their prank(s) turn out for the patient and the family. Anyone that is/has a veteran trying to gain the benefits due, knows/learns well the tripwires and heartbreak encountered on the trek. It bloody-well baffles me that anyone would be so self-absorbed to create more havoc for another human being, let alone someone willing to die in securing our freedoms, our republic and our Constitution.
Freedom is not free.
Again I see scum-sucking, totally occupied/censored, totally corrupted to the core Indiana full of traitors, “swamp monsters,” and much more is not on a list, ever mentioned or investigated. Just like some other areas the wrongs and evils are rampant. Nepotism, cliques/clans, the money, with all those involved from DC down, in every agency out there all suffer those corrupt greedy symbiotic relationships or parasite games for self-servicing to covering up.
Surely if I can go out shopping, pharmacies, etc., see some messed up military people, engage in some conversation to hear about their issues with Tricare or whatever they are attempting to use… the gubbermint officials can and know of this going on. IE making a GI run around around with mechanical injuries to get copies of med files or test results, in triplicate, a few times, just because of foul-ups or some unit, or lazy ass sergeant/LT or others incapable of doing their jobs or not giving a damn about their own. Or the many issues farther up the food chain. Expecting the GI to do it all, only accepting hand carried documents (when the GI is supposed to be on bed-rest), then misplacing them or just requesting them time and again… something is haywire. Or like them waiting months to get a limb injury treated or X-rays read???? C’mon. Then due to subtle intimidation, local connections/cliques, or not wanting to create more problems the injured has fear raising a little hell or openly discussing or complaining. Can’t trust their chain of command, or told they could be easily forced out of service for some reason?? I’ll bitch for them! If Indiana has so-called investigators or journalist… let them do their jobs…which they won’t. One little investigation or truth could up-set the entire corrupt regimes and expose all those deeply ingrained symbiotic relations… all of them.
On top of the above they have to worry about up-coming physical testing/exam or doing a run or something they are required to do? Have to run it coming in short-order and told they have to do it again later, plus the negative marks. I don’t get it. Total nonsense to me.
So the censoring and fear tactics continue on all levels. Gov agencies don’t give damn. They hire hundreds of thousand more social workers and such to take care of illegals and the flood of American hating ‘refugees” so they are well taken care of, plenty of quality free stuff, not a worry for them. Then vets and GIs still get all the shit. Circus Maximus.
They can do things the Hoosier way. Run them all through like cattle as fast as they can to make the numbers look good, but quality and kind of care drops to near zero or zero. Or pacifies some thinking they are getting good care when actually it is far below pet care. Oh and ensure their networks of retaliation and watchers/informants remain in full force. Play games like giving five or more patients the same damn appointment times. Then told they do that because of one patient may call in to cancel an appointment. That sure makes sense.
Trumpster, DHS, DoD, Pukagon, media whores, VSOs and Congress really care huh?
Awww! I tawwy! So four to eight more years of white man hating, gun hating, preborn baby hating, secure borders hating, free speech (especially campus) hating, peace hating, and morality hating scumbag union and WOMAN worshiping skank RETARD Dems would have been BETTER!? Like that baby banging, man hating, and murderous DYKE SHRILL-ARY would have been BETTER!!?? GTFO!! and STFO! I FINALLY feel like I have a reason to get UP in the morning!!
And Ricky your point is??? With all dribble I missed your drift, but sounds like a Hoosier cheerleader or local councilman.
That all you GOT, T? Are you black or brown or female or lesbian or gay or jewish?? I’m just curious, because those ARE the groups that hate Trump. He does’nt automatically give them special privilege and the whte man’s money the way Ole Cigar In The Vulva Willie Clinton and “I’m black and gay, and if you don’t believe ME, ask my football shoulders husband Bitch-Elle, AKA Michael LaVaughn Robinson” Obama did!! SHRILL-ARY would have done exactly the same thing, since they all hate white men and work!!
Rick Lip,
You must be brand new out here, it really shows.
Are you a vet with a beef? Post it. Doesn’t sound like it. More like a agent provocateur. Or a party line blinded, loyalist, crack licker, brown noser, who can’t see the diff between shit or Shinola. Or one of those war loving Evangels claiming to be Christ-like. Stuck in your ways and mind-set? Too old or socially engineered for change? Whatever, sounds like a personal problem to me, you fix it bud.
Plus being blinded by the fairtytale living under a corrupt ‘two party’ system both corrupt as hell and bows to their handlers, shadow government, bankers, long list of others. Wake up and smell your StarBucks. After generations of this party or that one, how could it be that this country is so corrupted and fucked up it’s beyond repair?? How about some principles before personalities or entertainers?
More BS from an activist: BS, Trump is Israel’s puppet and he’s filling positions with those, like Obummer, with special interest group types and those who could really give a shit about our health care or lives. We could also have some nice chats about “Nepotism” and all the shit that alone creates, has created, and show what Trumpster and many others are all about.
Did ya hear Trumper’s speech about the death penalty for drug dealers and the kicker being… demanding…AGAIN.. that MDs “cut writing pain med scriptes by one third to stop overdoses??” That was the VA’s and Obummer shit about pain meds that got many vets cut off cold turkey and threatened over back in …. 2014/2015. Same shit different day, different stupid POTUS. And they all keep claiming the same shit when no-one is writing anything to help chronic pain issues, but ‘cut more prescriptions’ when none are to be found, but the same shit and propaganda continues??? Oh please. That is just one example of the publics short memory and how the peeps are being played with all the ‘back and forth.’ With each freak from either party claiming shit about change..while things remain the same with little tangible or real changes to be felt or seen. Like HIS continuing support to oppress us and use shit like “collective punishment” like those before him to treat us serfs the same, put a carrot in front of the Donkey cart, or bring us all under control or try to show us… we are all alike. Get F-ing real. Turn your TV around and stop licking those distracting legs on Faux News, or any of those other phony news MSM stations. Or the thinking that one of our corrupt, two party jesters and actors, only, allowed freak show up there will do us any good, or change things with votes. Never happen. Grow the F up.
There is no defending any party or it’s ‘shoe-horned in’ picks. None of those freaks up there has, or will, put America first, second, or third. Sure been slow on fixing censoring, the VA, the political correctness bull shit, and much more. And like a expensive border wall is going to help shit??? To keep us in or them out? Ha Ha. We need legalized, hangings, town head chopping, death penalties alright, for lying politicians, war mongers, central bankers, commies, armies flooding in the country, MSM workers, etc. (Hollywood bringing them in, North border wide open, and much more.) Oh we are to automatically bow and kiss or respect? Jump on bandwagons to appease people like you? To fit in with some clique or herd??? Bwaaaa ha ha ha.
Ahem, how many vets have died playing games since Trumpster has been in office, VSOs, MSM, and with DC and state’s still playing their same generational games of ignoring, attacking, evil, censoring, etc??? Oh the PC-ness of it all and the Trumpster following Obummers way of thinking we adults full of life experience are to listen and be re-trained, or live according to … kids? More ha ha ha.
Hate to tell you Rick so far Don the Con has been the Democrats wet dream.
Same problem in Orlando.
“js”,
Are you talking about “Lake Baldwin VHA” or the newly almost built, over budget, behind completion schedule Lake Nona VHA? You know, the one where an “Opthalmologist was sited for a DUI”! Where he hit another car, with two children, from behind. (And, he was “under the influence of drugs” he wasn’t prescribed!)
Kinda makes one wonder!
Ho-hum, same-o-same-e-o….