VA says more than 57,000 patients are waiting for first visit

[jimnyc]

Welfare and other crap is out of hand - and this many of our countries soldiers are waiting just for their initial visit? This is crazy. The FIRST priority with the countries money should go to fixing this and getting every last one of them in there. To hell with the Obamacare, this should receive priority.

---

The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday shed light on the depth of the VA scheduling scandal and substantiated claims that rank-and-file employees were directed to manipulate records.

The agency said more than 57,000 new patients have waited at least 90 days for their first appointments and that about 13 percent of VA schedulers indicated they were told to falsify appointment-request dates to give the impression that wait times were shorter than they really were.

The information comes from the agency’s internal audit of 731 VA medical centers, which the VA released Monday.

The report said that complicated scheduling practices created confusion among clerks and supervisors, contributing to the problems. It also said the VA’s goal of providing an initial appointment within 14 days of a request was unattainable because of the growing demand for care among veterans.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/06/09/va-says-more-than-57000-patients-waiting-for-first-visit/

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

Welfare and other crap is out of hand - and this many of our countries soldiers are waiting just for their initial visit? This is crazy. The FIRST priority with the countries money should go to fixing this and getting every last one of them in there. To hell with the Obamacare, this should receive priority.

---

The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday shed light on the depth of the VA scheduling scandal and substantiated claims that rank-and-file employees were directed to manipulate records.

The agency said more than 57,000 new patients have waited at least 90 days for their first appointments and that about 13 percent of VA schedulers indicated they were told to falsify appointment-request dates to give the impression that wait times were shorter than they really were.

The information comes from the agency’s internal audit of 731 VA medical centers, which the VA released Monday.

The report said that complicated scheduling practices created confusion among clerks and supervisors, contributing to the problems. It also said the VA’s goal of providing an initial appointment within 14 days of a request was unattainable because of the growing demand for care among veterans.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/06/09/va-says-more-than-57000-patients-waiting-for-first-visit/

Our veterans get an average of one doctor per 35 veterans, the Gitmo terrorist scum average 1.7 doctors per patient!!!!!!!!!!
Now tell me these ffing animals are truly being fought your damn government. When it has it just the opposite of how it should be rewarding our enemies and shafting our own military!!
Islam knows no gratitude so any appeasement is laughed at by them..
Yet asshats, cowards and ffing foooools are hell bent on dishing it out like candy!!!
Dem/libs are about to destroy this nation--led by Obama!! Fact.. -Tyr

[aboutime]

Our veterans get an average of one doctor per 35 veterans, the Gitmo terrorist scum average 1.7 doctors per patient!!!!!!!!!!
Now tell me these ffing animals are truly being fought your damn government. When it has it just the opposite of how it should be rewarding our enemies and shafting our own military!!
Islam knows no gratitude so any appeasement is laughed at by them..
Yet asshats, cowards and ffing foooools are hell bent on dishing it out like candy!!!
Dem/libs are about to destroy this nation--led by Obama!! Fact.. -Tyr


Tyr. You think you are mad about this stuff? How bout this? As a disabled veteran myself. Living in one of the most highly populated Military area's in the nation. I haven't seen, or talked with any VA Doctor, or Assistant for nearly eight years. Not by choice, but by direction.
Truth is. The wait times are out of this world in most cases, and visits to Military support activities where medical services exist...is nearly like being a stranger in another country.
Military medical personnel will treat us, but after long waits, and only following active duty people...and there are sometimes..hundreds ahead of us.
The SOCIALIST medicine like OBAMACARE has taken over for our military medical, almost like a mirror example of what OBAMACARE is intended to become down the road for ALL AMERICANS.
And, I haven't mentioned how my 30 years...where I kept my part of the Contract, expecting my medical and dental to be part of my retirement promise...DOES NOT EXIST.
Most civilians are still under the impression that WE RETIRED MILITARY folks get everything for FREE, and we can play golf, or go fishing all the time while everybody else has to work.
IF ONLY that were the case.
Truth is. All of the Chemotherapy, and Radiation treatments I had...for my Cancer. WERE NOT paid for by UNCLE SAM. I PAID FOR IT out of my retirement.
Same for all of my other medical bills. Yes. I have TRICARE...but I STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
So..most civilians think I am so, so lucky, rolling in money from my retirement, with all the FREE STUFF other people get...without giving 30 OR 20 years. But it's all BS.
The U.S.Government Welched on their side of the CONTRACT.
And thousands, if not millions of us VETERANS know it.

[gabosaurus]

Obama and Bush share one quality -- they both knew about problems and wait lists at the VA and did nothing.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/05/veterans-affairs-backlogs-waiting-lists-george-bush

The horrendous VA backlog started after the Middle East conflicts began producing massive casualties. The flood of cases overwhelmed the VA, which was already understaffed following budget cuts. The real problem began when the number of doctors and support personnel was not increased to meet the rising number of cases.

When I went to the Memorial Day activities, I had several vets tell me that the VA has had problems for more than two decades. The defense department is more interested in active duty troops than those who retired or get injured. The VA has always been the Pentagon's orphan stepchild, hidden in the closet so as not to make anyone look bad.

It is unfortunate that people had to die before anyone paid attention.

[CSM]

Obama and Bush share one quality -- they both knew about problems and wait lists at the VA and did nothing.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/05/veterans-affairs-backlogs-waiting-lists-george-bush

The horrendous VA backlog started after the Middle East conflicts began producing massive casualties. The flood of cases overwhelmed the VA, which was already understaffed following budget cuts. The real problem began when the number of doctors and support personnel was not increased to meet the rising number of cases.

When I went to the Memorial Day activities, I had several vets tell me that the VA has had problems for more than two decades. The defense department is more interested in active duty troops than those who retired or get injured. The VA has always been the Pentagon's orphan stepchild, hidden in the closet so as not to make anyone look bad.

It is unfortunate that people had to die before anyone paid attention.

I am certain Gabby was an advocate/activist for the VA all along .... right Gabby? Or is just the cause-du-jour for you?

[aboutime]

Obama and Bush share one quality -- they both knew about problems and wait lists at the VA and did nothing.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/05/veterans-affairs-backlogs-waiting-lists-george-bush

The horrendous VA backlog started after the Middle East conflicts began producing massive casualties. The flood of cases overwhelmed the VA, which was already understaffed following budget cuts. The real problem began when the number of doctors and support personnel was not increased to meet the rising number of cases.

When I went to the Memorial Day activities, I had several vets tell me that the VA has had problems for more than two decades. The defense department is more interested in active duty troops than those who retired or get injured. The VA has always been the Pentagon's orphan stepchild, hidden in the closet so as not to make anyone look bad.

It is unfortunate that people had to die before anyone paid attention.


WRONG gabby. This VA problem began in earnest during the CLINTON years, when he pretended the Republicans were downsizing our Military. I know, because I retired earlier than I had hoped, due to the DOWNSIZING of the Pentagon, and the shrinking Military forces we had to REBUILD prior to September 11th, 2001.
As they do now. Democrats always make the BLAME game fall on Republicans. JUST ASK YOU.