“The Department of Veterans Affairs still fails to reliably track wait times for veterans seeking health care in the wake of a national scandal that five years ago found more than 200 veterans died while waiting for appointments, a federal watchdog agency reported.”
“The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a hearing Wednesday to assess the VA’s progress on wait times. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the wait-time scandal, which was first uncovered at the Phoenix VA hospital. It was later revealed the problems permeated throughout the VA health care system.”
“Debra Draper, director of health care with the Government Accountability Office, told lawmakers that the VA has made some progress since the watchdog agency began reporting on access issues in 2012, but there are still some shortcomings…”
“To improve, the VA needs a new scheduling system, clear and consistent policies, adequate oversight and effective training, she said.” Read the full article here.
Source: Five years after Phoenix scandal, VA still doesn’t keep reliable wait-time data – By Nikki Gentling, July 24, 2019. Stars and Stripes.
