The VA Scandal gets worse by the day. Although we would love to see Eric Shinseki removed, it will not solve the ingrained problems. Government control of any medical system will not work, it must be privatized and moved away from control by bureaucrats whose only motivation is to line their own pockets.
Each of these VA hospitals is run on a basis of keeping the cost down (does that sound familiar?) The hospital administrators are paid by the keeping expenses low while treating those who seek care. However, as we have seen in Phoenix (and we are sure many other VA facilities), the books have been cooked to make it look like they are meeting performance goals while Veterans are not seen for months, at best.If they go a good job with making up numbers, those in charge become eligible for big bonuses.
The fastest way to keep expenses down is to deny appointments. Without seeing a doctor, there are no appointment costs, no medication ordered, no tests ordered, no hospitalization required and no surgeries conducted. Magically, costs drop like a balloon filled with lead and the bonus money comes to those responsible for the hospital.
However, this is not what was expected when the edicts came down to lower costs, we call this unexpected outcomes. Sarah Palin called it "death panels." Those who died in line for care might have well been shot by an execution squad. However, this time it was done by medical malfeasance and incompetence rather than guns.
Montel Williams has it right. This is a travesty and no democracy, no country should EVER treat those who served in its military so callously. Heck, we treat dogs and cats better!
Yes, fire Shenski but also close the VA System and give every veteran a VA Medical card so that he/she can seek care near his or her home from doctors and hospitals of their choice.
Conservative Tom
Each of these VA hospitals is run on a basis of keeping the cost down (does that sound familiar?) The hospital administrators are paid by the keeping expenses low while treating those who seek care. However, as we have seen in Phoenix (and we are sure many other VA facilities), the books have been cooked to make it look like they are meeting performance goals while Veterans are not seen for months, at best.If they go a good job with making up numbers, those in charge become eligible for big bonuses.
The fastest way to keep expenses down is to deny appointments. Without seeing a doctor, there are no appointment costs, no medication ordered, no tests ordered, no hospitalization required and no surgeries conducted. Magically, costs drop like a balloon filled with lead and the bonus money comes to those responsible for the hospital.
However, this is not what was expected when the edicts came down to lower costs, we call this unexpected outcomes. Sarah Palin called it "death panels." Those who died in line for care might have well been shot by an execution squad. However, this time it was done by medical malfeasance and incompetence rather than guns.
Montel Williams has it right. This is a travesty and no democracy, no country should EVER treat those who served in its military so callously. Heck, we treat dogs and cats better!
Yes, fire Shenski but also close the VA System and give every veteran a VA Medical card so that he/she can seek care near his or her home from doctors and hospitals of their choice.
Conservative Tom
| From: Capital Hill Daily:
Last week, Floyd reported on the breaking scandal at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which involves hospitals fabricating medical treatment records to hide abysmal wait times.
Unfortunately, since we first reported on the story, the situation has gone from bad to worse. The results of an investigation into the Phoenix, Arizona Veterans Affairs facility show a mind-boggling level of noncompliance, ineptitude and neglect. And now, the chorus of voices calling for the resignation of Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki, has grown. This is a natural response to such a reprehensible situation... and it's the correct move. In fact, all of those responsible for denying care to our brave veterans - not just the man in charge - deserve whatever investigation and punishment is forthcoming. However, it's important that we don't get completely caught up in the search for who is responsible. In the midst of ongoing investigations, we can't forget the most important thing: There are literally thousands of underserved veterans out there who need immediate care.
The Forgotten Heroes
The Phoenix VA hospital staff claimed that veterans received care in no longer than two weeks.Yet an investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs' internal watchdog reports that 84% of a statistical sample of veterans at the Phoenix VA waited longer than that for an appointment. What's more, The Washington Post reports that veterans at the Phoenix VA waited an average of 115 days for their first medical appointment. That's a whopping three months longer than the average wait time that was reported by the hospital. Worst of all, the internal watchdog discovered that at least 1,700 vets who are in need of care were never placed on the official waiting list at all! Luckily, the Inspector General's Office told Secretary Shinseki to take "immediate action" to provide care for these veterans, and Shinseki has ordered that they be immediately triaged at the Phoenix VA. This is at least a small silver lining. But if thousands of veterans in Phoenix alone were "at risk of being lost or forgotten," as the report put it, how many others across the country have been denied care or lost in the system? According to Rep. Jeff Miller, the Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, "Wait time schemes and data manipulation are systemic throughout VA and are putting veterans at risk in Phoenix and across the country." It's extremely likely, therefore, that thousands of veterans outside of Phoenix are in need of immediate care. So while Jeff Miller, John McCain and Mark Udall aren't wrong to call for Secretary Shinseki's resignation, let's keep our priorities in order. First, we must take care of those in need. Then we can launch a criminal investigation and ultimately punish those responsible for neglecting the Americans who deserve our care the most. In Pursuit of the Truth, Christopher Eutaw |
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