Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Get in line: 57,000 veterans waiting for initial appointments at the VA
AP Hotair ^ | 06/09/2014 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 06/09/2014 2:42:25 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

And they’ve been waiting a long time, too. The Associated Press reports on an internal audit from more than 700 VA facilities shows that 57,000 veterans have waited 90 or more days for their initial medical appointment, let alone for any advanced care that might be needed. Another 64,000 have been enrolled in the VA health-care system for more than ten years without ever getting to see a doctor:

The Veterans Affairs Department says more than 57,000 patients are still waiting for initial medical appointments at VA hospitals and clinics 90 days or more after requesting them. An additional 64,000 who enrolled in the VA health care system over the past 10 years have never had appointments.

The audit confirms that 13% of scheduling staff received instruction in how to fraudulently cover up the horrendous wait times and access issues. The rest of the wait-list issue gets chalked up to a “complicated” appointment scheduling process and “confusion” among staff on how to manage it.

Will anyone buy that? It’s important to remember that this is the result of an internal audit run by the VA on orders from Eric Shinseki before he resigned under an avalanche of public pressure on the VA scandal.

(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: healthcare; va; vascandals; vawaitlistscandal; veterans; waitinglist

1 posted on 06/09/2014 2:42:25 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

The system works in a strange way. VA took care of my prostate cancer fairly quickly. I had a Biopsy of may prostate at a private specialist. I applied for disability so I had two sets of wheels turning. I had had a physical earlier at the VA as I wanted to get set up and get an ID before I retired. I needed to get a a primary care physician to approve my trip form Denver to Seattle for treatment. That took a couple days. That was over 3 years ago and things are OK now.


2 posted on 06/09/2014 2:53:44 PM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Make that 57,001. I’m in the process of registering for the system, glad I don’t have any immediate health issues.


3 posted on 06/09/2014 2:57:45 PM PDT by PROCON (Those who are capable of Tyranny are capable of Deceit to sustain it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Obama doesn’t respond instead he moves on to college loans and bashes Republicans like a swivel eyed zealot.


4 posted on 06/09/2014 3:25:57 PM PDT by RginTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RginTN

And to think thousands of illegals are getting immediate health care and legal aide.


5 posted on 06/09/2014 5:28:41 PM PDT by Maudeen ("End Times Warrior - Just a Sinner Saved by Grace")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: PROCON

I’ve got a good mind to go enroll myself. I have never been to a VA hospital but I have the right. This government I said I would die for needs a swift kick in the ass.


6 posted on 06/09/2014 5:31:46 PM PDT by eyedigress ((zOld storm chaser from the west)/?s)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

My husband went to VA. Had some chest pain. He was given an appointment for over 4 months later. He went to ER. Doing follow up with VA and was told he would have appointment within 2 weeks. It is a few days past that 2 weeks, no word from VA. He called today, phone was picked up and hung up everytime. This afternoon got recording saying call could not go thru.
This evening the news reported the Harlingen VA clinic has the worst wait time in the nation.


7 posted on 06/09/2014 5:54:03 PM PDT by RGVTx
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Maudeen

They can also get in state tuition to college


8 posted on 06/09/2014 5:54:49 PM PDT by RginTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: RGVTx

Can your husband go back to the ER? This is an outrage.


9 posted on 06/09/2014 5:56:45 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

My father had surgery at a VA hospital about 30 years ago. We were told by several nurses to never leave him alone. There was one orderly who likes to hit patients in their incisions while they were asleep.

They told us he could not be fired.

One of my uncles caught the guy alone and told him he would kill him if he went near my father.


10 posted on 06/09/2014 6:02:34 PM PDT by gitmo (If your theology doesn't become your biography, what good is it?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gitmo

One dead orderly in my book.


11 posted on 06/09/2014 6:27:23 PM PDT by eyedigress ((zOld storm chaser from the west)/?s)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
This is nothing more than the tip of the iceberg.

It's also a glimpse into where Obamacare's Government run healthcare for individuals is headed.

12 posted on 06/09/2014 6:34:02 PM PDT by VideoDoctor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: trisham

Husband was put on meds while in hospital that have him functioning better. Now trying to do follow up with VA to get referral for heart doctor. Must follow VA rules so they will pay bill. Due to husband’s service related disability he is covered for ER visits, if needed.


13 posted on 06/09/2014 7:11:58 PM PDT by RGVTx
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: PROCON

I’ve never had to wait.


14 posted on 06/09/2014 7:22:07 PM PDT by Brown Deer (Pray for 0bama. Psalm 109:8)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: RGVTx

Best wishes to both of you. Your husband has my utmost respect, as do you for your support of him in dealing with the VA. Coping with a huge bureaucracy can be overwhelming.


15 posted on 06/10/2014 3:47:16 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

The problems with VA health care has a very quick remedy; require that our elected representatives (Congressmen, Senator, their families, and staffs) be required to only use the nearest VA Hospital for all their health care needs...and there are no head of the line privileges. As we watch the number of our elected representatives who actually served in the military (or some other public service) decline each year, this increasing majority have no idea what was involved or the sacrifices our service required.

Sad, but we keep electing them....over and over...perhaps that should change also.


16 posted on 06/10/2014 5:36:27 PM PDT by remur389 (Before you vote....think)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: trisham

Thank you,trisham.


17 posted on 06/12/2014 9:43:33 AM PDT by RGVTx
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson