VA says it cut backlog in half, IG doesn't believe it - FierceGovernment
The Veterans Affairs Department has reduced its benefits claims backlog by more than 50 percent from its peak early last year a top official said. But lawmakers and the VA's own inspector general don't believe it.
VA Undersecretary Allison Hickey said at a House Veteran's Affairs Committee hearing that the benefits backlog has dropped to about 275,000 pending claims--down from 600,000 last year.
Oversight Hearing on Data Manipulation and Access to VA Healthcare: Testimony from GAO, IG and VA | House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
IG Statements to Congress
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
H.R. 4031, the “Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014”
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) widespread and systemic lack of accountability for senior executives is exacerbating all of its most pressing problems. In fact, if you look at recent VA preventable deaths, patient safety incidents and backlog increases, Department senior executives who resided over negligence and mismanagement are more likely to have received a bonus or glowing performance review than any sort of punishment.
Despite the fact that multiple VA Inspector General reports have linked many VA patient care problems to widespread mismanagement within VA facilities, and GAO findings that VA bonus pay has no clear link to performance, the Department has consistently defended its celebration of senior executives who presided over these events, all the while giving them glowing performance reviews and cash bonuses of up to $63,000.
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (O&I) | House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Defense.gov News Article: Acting VA Secretary Outlines Problems, Actions Taken
WASHINGTON, July 16, 2014 – In testimony before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee yesterday, Acting VA Secretary Sloan D. Gibson outlined serious problems regarding access to health care and key actions the department has taken to get veterans off waiting lists and into clinics.
“The trust that is the foundation of all we do -- the trust of the veterans we serve and the trust of the American people and their elected representatives -- has eroded,” Gibson said. “We have to earn that trust back through deliberate and decisive action, and by creating an open and transparent approach for dealing with our stakeholders to better serve veterans.”
Gibson discussed six priorities to begin restoring trust:
- Get veterans off waiting lists and into clinics;
- Fix systemic scheduling problems;
- Address cultural issues;
- -- Hold people accountable where willful misconduct or management negligence are documented;
- Establish regular and ongoing disclosures of information; and
- Quantify the resources needed to consistently deliver timely, high-quality health care.
1 comment:
Although there are many people waiting for the VA, there are a significant number of professionals who do their best to provide the level of care our veterans deserve. While it wouldn't be an immediate solution, perhaps some of our active duty and reservists could be provided additional medical training and increase the level of care provided to the vets while improving the quality and numbers of military health care professionals.
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