What Other Problems Plague The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) June 04, 2014 -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has come under recent but prolonged fire for the manner in which the VA handles the scheduling of veterans' medical appointments and how the VA falsely reported the amount of time it took for veterans to receive medical services through the VA health care system.
Fallout from the scandal has resulted in the VA Secretary resigning his post. The outgoing VA Secretary stated as he was departing, "I respect the independent review and recommendations of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) regarding systemic issues with patient scheduling and access ... I am directing that the Phoenix VA Health Care System (VAHCS) immediately triage each of the 1,700 Veterans identified by the OIG to bring them timely care ... I have directed the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to complete a nation-wide access review to ensure a full understanding of VA’s policy and continued integrity in managing patient access to care."
But the VA's health care scheduling scandal may be just the tip of the iceberg.
Unpublicized is the VA's burgeoning burden of providing disability benefits to veterans. In a February 2014 report prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics for the VA, it was reported that while the population of veterans has been declining since 1985, the number of veterans with a service-connected disability (defined as disability as a result of disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active military service) has been on the rise (a 60% increase since 1990).
Furthermore, as the VA report states, the rate of increase in disability cash payments is outpacing the growth in the number of veterans with a service-connected disability, and the growth in the number of veterans with a service-connected disability is concentrated among those rated 50 percent or higher (service-connected disability ratings are graduated in increments of 10 percent based on the degree of the veteran’s disability, on a scale of 0 to 100 percent) - in recent years, veterans granted disability compensation for the first time have received higher initial ratings than in the past.
We at MedicalMalpracticeLawyers.com, the premier free website connecting medical malpractice victims in the United States with medical malpractice lawyers in their state, have been receiving an increasing number of inquiries from U.S. veterans who have either been denied service-connected disability benefits through the VA or their award of benefits has been inadequate. Some of these disabled veterans may have been treated unfairly by the VA.
About Us:
In addition to connecting medical malpractice victims with medical malpractice lawyers in the United States, MedicalMalpracticeLawyers.com connects veterans who have been injured due to VA medical malpractice with medical malpractice lawyers who may assist them with their VA medical malpractice claim.
MedicalMalpracticeLawyers.com publishes a daily blog concerning medical malpractice and related issues, and has been doing so for over 1,100 consecutive daily blogs. We can be reached by using the contact us page on our website or by calling us toll-free in the United States at 800-295-3959. Turn to us when you don't know where to turn.
Jeff E. Messing, President, MML Holdings LLC, +1 (410) 576-8338, [email protected]
Share this article