VA Radiology

Cancellation Of 250k VA Radiology Orders Raises Questions

VA is engaged in a massive purge of its radiology backlist resulting in mass cancellation of hundreds of thousands of radiology orders leaving some veterans without the imaging they require.

Of course, it takes no one a lot of thought to recognize the Department of Veterans Affairs is really great at creating backlogs and then purging those backlogs using questionable tactics.

Here, in part thanks to Whistleblowers of America, USA TODAY exposed a massive backlog purge of radiology orders. The agency is trying to wipe its slate clean, and deleting over 250,000 radiology orders is just part of the massive plan.

From USA TODAY, Donovan Slack –>

Radiology technologist Jeff Dettbarn said he knew something was wrong at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Iowa City, Iowa, when a patient arrived in February 2017 for a CT scan, but the doctor’s order for it had been canceled.

“To have a patient show up for a scan and not have an order – you’re like, ‘What the heck is going on?’ ” he told USA TODAY in an interview.

Dettbarn started collecting cancellation notices for diagnostic procedures such as CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds.

“I knew something was not right,” he said. “Because none of them were canceled by a physician.”

Cancellations of more than 250,000 radiology orders at VA hospitals across the country since 2016 have raised questions about whether – in a rush to clear out outdated and duplicate diagnostic orders – some facilities failed to follow correct procedures. At issue is a concern over whether some medically necessary orders for CT scans and other imaging tests were canceled improperly.

Read More…

Similar Posts

17 Comments

  1. Well it’s been nice gentleman but thanks to the VA robbing me of a large sum of my disability (what small fraction I got) this time tomorrow I will no longer have either this phone or internet.

    Gotta pay to get this tooth yanked and for brakes for the wife’s car somehow.

    Not gonna lie, it was nice to be able to watch Netflix when the wife got home from work but it is what it am. It was also nice to be able to play video games but I had to shut that off too.

    $900 just don’t spread too thin. Wife and youngin’ and critters gotta eat.

    Peace.

  2. I cannot imagine a better way to drive 9 million veterans into the private sector and for the government to pick up the tab for imaging – that costs 10 time. Loves me a free market. Yessir.

  3. “This country has not seen and probably will never know the true level of sacrifice of our veterans. As a civilian I owe an unpayable debt to all our military. Going forward let’s not send our servicemen and women off to war or conflict zones unless it is overwhelmingly justifiable and on moral high ground. The men of WWII were the greatest generation, perhaps Korea the forgotten, Vietnam the trampled, Cold War unsung and Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan vets underestimated. Every generation has proved itself to be worthy to stand up to the precedent of the greatest generation. Going back to the Revolution American soldiers have been the best in the world.”

    — Thomas M. Smith —

  4. it’s not just radiation etc. I have been shuttled around for 2 years with a dental implant. When ever I inquire about it I hear yet another reason why the delay. At this point I have lost a great deal of bone mass and I may no longer be a candidate for an implant and a bridge is out of the question based on their evaluation.

  5. I wonder how many veterans will be going from one stage of cancer to a higher stage of cancer, all because VA cancelled these life saving proceedures?

    #shutdownva
    #fuckafge
    #fuckva

  6. 10/02/2018

    Dear Benjamin Krause,

    This is the Beginning of the year for the Government, and its new budget.

    Apparently, the Secretary of the VA approves this management behavior.

    Or someone one is overriding the U.S. President’s demands.

    Either way the FBI should look into this, especially when all the senators have the time to find out about a kid bumping and grinding back 35 years ago.

    Sincerely,

    Don Karg

    1. Speaking of the “Bump and Grind” case, Sharyl Attkisson penned an opinion in “The Hill” yesterday that actually looks forward much more than the small-minded talking heads we see on the boob tube.

      The panty-waists in the Congress have with these “Bump and Grind” hearings, added thousands of gallons-per-minute to the flow rate of incoming water that is quickly sinking our Ship of State.

      She makes some very valid points:

      “https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/409174-kavanaugh-case-opens-door-to-dangerous-range-of-accusations”

  7. Maybe someone should cancel ALL AFGE Non-Performance Bonuses before they are issued in check form-factor and tell these assholes their checks can be found same place all the purged 250,000 radiology orders went ~~POOF~~ to, likely same industrial shredder the VA utilizes for Veteran Claim Files.

    Maybe we can utilize same tactic the pied piper used to rid villages of infected rats, but lead these assholes in marching order into an industrial shredder?

    1. Maybe when we vets get our act together enough to force Congress to allow every one of us who has any service-connected disability to use Medicare cost-free as an alternative to the VA, the VA will stop its war against vets? Only veterans can stop this war. Veterans protecting the VA from effective activities, like allowing us cost-refunded-by-DVA use alternative medical services, are the main obstacle to reversing the DVA war against Veterans healthcare.

      1. It is way past time for some real leadership at the VA. Leadership that speaks truth publicly about how bad things have really gotten. Leadership that develops solutions to take better care of ALL our nations warriors.

        Leadership that recognizes that when they are doing a good job – – – it will be veterans singing their praises, rather than the VA needing a PR Agency to put out “Fluff Pieces” to mislead America and her citizens about what a stellar job they are doing.

        They are not. In fact, they are doing a very piss-poor job.

        The VA has a first-world budget which they use to provide veterans less than third-world medical care and benefits. Current VA leadership has their Brain Housing Group the size of mice and their Heart no bigger.

        It is about FIFTEEN YEARS PAST TIME TO FIX THE DAMN BROKEN VA:

        1. IMMEDIATELY recognize the problems inherent in the VA are SYSTEM-WIDE, not just limited to a few locations.

        2. Fire all the Lazy No Good Workers. Fire EVERY single AFGE/SES Employee.

        3. Sell off all the VA facilities. Alternatively, they may be converted into military barracks-style housing for homeless veterans. These will be run with military-style rules to promote good order and discipline.

        4. Issue all veterans a card that allows them to choose their own doctors within their community that they can TRUST.

        5. The United States Government will PAY those doctors promptly (Within 45 days) for the care they provide veterans.

        6. ELIMINATE the “Federal Protection” Umbrella for incompetent QUACKS that the VA sends to other states to practice other than their own. Going to practice in XX state? You need to be LICENSED in XX state.

        7. Any claim a veteran submits to the VBA that requires more than 90 days to adjudicate, is automatically found to be in favor of the veteran. Should a veteran file a false claim to scam the system, the VA will have to prove in civil court that the claim was falsely submitted.

        For filing a false claim, the veteran will be subject to ALL of the following:

        (A). The claim shall be denied. If the veteran has received any form of benefits because of the false claim they will be required to fully repay the benefits at cost.
        (B). The veteran will be banned from all VA facilities for the remainder of their life.
        (C). The veteran will lose any benefits they originally have or had, and will not be allowed to file for further benefits.

        8. All veterans will be allowed to seek/retain the services of a Veterans Rights Attorney from their first initial contact with the VA. This will help to protect the legal rights of veterans against corrupt and incompetent VA employees.

        9. No AFGE, nor any other Labor Union business will be allowed to take place in any Federal Workplace. Conducting Union Business during working hours will be STRICTLY PROHIBITED and will be STRICTLY ENFORCED. Should any government employee be found violating this provision, it will result in IMMEDIATE LIFETIME DISMISSAL FROM ANY/ALL STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYMENT. In this case the word LIFETIME shall be construed as meaning “Ten years after you are deceased”.

        10. Attorneys for appeal will be retained at the former employee’s PERSONAL expense. U. S. Taxpayer’s will not be subject to payment of legal bills for incompetent or dishonest personnel with regards to Governmental Employment.

        You have my contact information Mr. President. Call me anytime. I have a lot of ideas/solutions to help this nation improve the services provided to my fellow veterans.

        The ones promised, but never delivered upon. Veterans have been waiting for over fifty years for the fulfillment of those promises. I will not hesitate to speak up at all.

        For my fellow veterans who have been ill-served by this DERAILED CLUSTERFUCK of an AWFUL TRAIN WRECK CALLED THE VA over the years:

        Our battles overseas were far less agonizing than our war here at home. Never Cruel or Cowardly. Never Give Up. Never Give In. We are on the Righteous path.

        POTUS Reagan broke up PATCO in the ’80’s. Time for POTUS Trump to break up the AFGE. The vast majority of our current Congress Critters do NOT have Veterans Interests at heart. Perhaps their replacements will. VOTE OUT all these WORTHLESS BITCHES and BASTARDS.

        Give their replacement’s one term to take care of Veterans who put aside their own personal lives to answer this nation’s call when she needed them. Many of those Veterans suffer the remainder of their lives for doing what most of their countrymen had not the courage to do.

        If they cannot MUSTER THE STONES to do it properly – – – vote their worthless asses out as well. Party should NOT MATTER. What SHOULD MATTER is their VOTING RECORDS ON VETERANS ISSUES.

        Rhetoric is cheap. Congressional Voting Records on veterans issues speak louder than words.

        NO Combat Veteran should be surprised when the next McVeigh, Congressional Baseball Team, or Las Vegas Sniper Incident occurs. Bound to happen. Just a matter of time . . .

        We have now reached the next accelerative phase of our country falling apart. Country before Party. Principles before Personalities. Always.

        Want to REALLY fix the VA? The next SecVA needs to be a former Enlisted Man brought in from the general veteran population with a few serious axes to grind against the VA and the AFGE, with zero previous governmental civilian service.

        Apparently, Former Flag Officers and SES appointed Civilians can’t cut the mustard . . .

        Maybe a SINCERELY MOTIVATED Gunnery Sergeant or Chief Petty Officer CAN.

      2. I somewhat resent hearing the term ‘combat veteran’. My heart is filled for those that went through all the trauma they did for all of us and respect to no bounds. But I never saw combat, I never was out of the states, I never was out of naval schools, but I was following orders & met with a near life ending accident that was completely another persons fault & he was arrested for his illegal actions. My blood is as red as combat vet injuries, my 6 transfusions proved that, my 7 months in bed with initial doubt of survival, My lifetime crippling injuries that damaged my very height of sustained fame I had attained & could not continue twice in one lifetime, and it tells me we have to all stick together. Some of my best friends during my 15 months in hospital was with war damaged Marines that I loved like brothers. Lets all stick together, I am sorry I was not damaged in combat with you, but God I hurt as you.

      3. @ROHM – – – Going to skip around sequentially in answering your post.

        First. You say “I am sorry I was not damaged in combat with you . . . ”

        I am glad that you were not. Being permanently damaged in combat is not something a normally healthy and sane man would wish for. It happened to me, and a lot of other guys – – – yet in all my years, I have yet to meet the guy who has told me ‘I could not wait to go to war to get messed up.”

        Stuff happens in life. Much that we cannot control. Agreed?

        Second. My usage of the term “Combat Veteran” is used in a very specific way in my rant. As I use it in my rant, it simply means that if any veteran who has seen combat is surprised by the mass tragedies that now occur on American soil – – – then they were not paying too much attention to the direction our country has been heading these last thirty years or so . . .

        When you take all the bullshit politics and religion out of it, the ONLY real difference between the United States and any other country on the planet is geography.

        Americans want their kids to grow up having it a wee bit easier than they did as kids. Guess what? So do (both N and S) Koreans, Iraqis, Iranians, Russians, Ukrainians, Canadians, Mexicans, etc.

        You can expound upon it from there . . .

        Third. No heirarchy of veterans is suggested or implied. You stepped forward, raised your hand, took the oath, then were shipped off to your branch of services ‘Boot Camp”. Upon graduation, you had already done more for your country than anyone who did not follow in your footsteps. Why? Because you did not promise to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. You promised to do so with your very physical life.

        That young laddie, is called honor. Something to damn few people have in this “modern” world we live in.

        Hope this clears it up for you. We each experienced the military differently, but there exists a huge amount of common overlap.

        Namaste.

      4. ROHM, you are so right, and I thank you for your service. Frankly, it does not matter if a service person saw combat or cleaned the bathrooms, every single job is important. You signed up with the attitude of giving your all, up to and including your life, and for that, not matter what job you did, thank you and God bless you.

      5. Thank you so much for your service, first off. Secondly God bless you for such an insightful and honest review of our government or lack of. You are spot on, and although I am not a Veteran, your points and 100% on point, valid and you offer solutions that would work. It is not just the Veterans who need to get involved with this clean up the VA campaign. It is everyone who is enjoying their freedom in this country. We have so far to go and I know it can be done. It will take a movement for us all to say this is NO LONGER GOING TO BE TOLERATED. It may take a revolution against our own greedy government, but it is long overdue.
        Does anyone know if there are groups forming or formed to get this reformation moving? I would love to turn on the news tomorrow and hear that the VA has been dismantled. Where do we begin?

Comments are closed.