Filner Challenges VA Leadership at Hearing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2010
Washington, D.C. – House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) released the following statement following a Congressional hearing to examine an incident involving reusable dental equipment and veteran patient safety at the John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri:
“I would like to thank the veterans who bravely told their stories of receiving a certified letter in the mail from the Department of Veterans Affairs notifying them of possible exposure to deadly diseases following routine dental procedures at a VA medical facility. After 1,812 veterans received this letter, they were directed to a hotline to answer their personal questions and orchestrate their follow-up care. To learn that VA employees that answered that hotline were not prepared with facts – much less the necessary compassion to attend to these veterans – is shameful.
“I remain concerned with VA’s lack of transparency. When mistakes are made, honesty and truthfulness are the only way to begin to rebuild trust with the public. Success is measured by veteran service, not bureaucratic preservation. “I challenge the leaders at the John Cochran VA Medical Center, and the leaders at VA Medical Centers around the country, to step up their game. The time is now – to ensure safety procedures are in place, to establish strong employee training programs, to continue to strengthen their national oversight structure, to improve their veteran notification process, to provide timely information to veterans, and to prove to our veterans that these problems are not systemic of the VA medical system.“The VA’s response at the hearing was instructive. Only when Under Secretary Petzel abandoned his prepared remarks, and responded directly to the personal struggles of our veterans, were we able to begin to address the issues at hand. My biggest concern is that we have been here before. It is my commitment to deliver accountability to the veterans of St. Louis and across the country. I will be back in six months to ask the tough questions, speak directly with these veterans, and monitor the progress of this Department in caring for those who have so bravely borne the battle for our country.”
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Filner Challenges VA Leadership at Hearing
Showing posts with label House Veterans Affairs Committee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House Veterans Affairs Committee. Show all posts
Friday, July 16, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Filner urges quick approval of some VA claims
More and more claims will be made from veterans seeking treatment and compensation just as more and more claims wait to be honored. While they wait, there is not just the financial suffering they are subjected to as bills cannot be paid due to their wounds, there is the emotional harm inflicted that should matter to all of us.
Think of it this way. They risked their lives serving this country. Then because of that service, they were wounded yet when they come home, they are left to fend for themselves. They file claims to have their wounds taken care of and compensated for the income they can no longer work for. Delays in honoring those claims are dishonoring their service.
Just as advocates are reaching the Vietnam veterans so they seek help for PTSD because they are finally understanding what it is, now we have a flood expected from Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Does it end there? No because we also have two active military campaigns producing more wounded veterans every day. We also have Gulf War veterans still trying to be compensated for what the Gulf War did to them the VA still doesn't quite understand.
These men and women are suffering for having served. They should not have to see their lives as veterans subjected to delays in honoring their service wounds.
Considering the service organizations like the DAV verify claims made before they even begin to start the process with the VA, most of the evidence is already gathered together. Very few claims presented are fraudulent. Doing this is the right thing to do for the sake of the veterans. After getting them through the process and honoring their claims, there would be more time for them to review claims for fraud. Then, they would be treated as any other criminal charged with VA fraud and would have to pay the money back, plus see some jail time. We need to stop treating them all as if they are already guilty.
Think of it this way. They risked their lives serving this country. Then because of that service, they were wounded yet when they come home, they are left to fend for themselves. They file claims to have their wounds taken care of and compensated for the income they can no longer work for. Delays in honoring those claims are dishonoring their service.
Just as advocates are reaching the Vietnam veterans so they seek help for PTSD because they are finally understanding what it is, now we have a flood expected from Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Does it end there? No because we also have two active military campaigns producing more wounded veterans every day. We also have Gulf War veterans still trying to be compensated for what the Gulf War did to them the VA still doesn't quite understand.
These men and women are suffering for having served. They should not have to see their lives as veterans subjected to delays in honoring their service wounds.
“If there is a 1 percent error, and there could be, so what? You would be helping the 99 percent of veterans who are honest,” Filner said.
Considering the service organizations like the DAV verify claims made before they even begin to start the process with the VA, most of the evidence is already gathered together. Very few claims presented are fraudulent. Doing this is the right thing to do for the sake of the veterans. After getting them through the process and honoring their claims, there would be more time for them to review claims for fraud. Then, they would be treated as any other criminal charged with VA fraud and would have to pay the money back, plus see some jail time. We need to stop treating them all as if they are already guilty.
Filner urges quick approval of some VA claims
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 26, 2010 16:59:14 EDT
The Veterans Affairs Department’s large and stubborn backlog of benefits claims could be reduced almost overnight if VA automatically approved any claims prepared with the help of a certified veterans service officer from a veterans organization or a state or local government veterans office, says the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The idea, floated March 26 by Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is not new — and is not endorsed by all veterans groups.
Filner has been talking for several years about the idea of VA accepting some claims without a long review process and then doing spot-checks to look for cheaters, which he has described as similar to the way tax return audits are handled by the International Revenue Service.
His current initiative is somewhat different in that he is now talking only about automatic payment of claims that are prepared by people who have undergone VA training so they have some expertise in the requirements for a valid claim.
read more here
Filner urges quick approval of some VA claims
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
VA could have saved, in 2004, about $1.4 billion over 5 years
Most people assume since the men and women veterans in this country, served this one country, their care as veterans would be the same regardless of where they live. It is appalling when they find out this assumption is totally wrong.
If you live in an area of the country, like Boston, there are many facilities to go to including clinics, but if you live in the Orlando area, the only place to go is the VA Clinic in Winter Park. If you need to have surgery along with many other procedures, you have to travel to Tampa. There is a hospital being built in Lake Nona. The ground breaking was in October of 2008 but the hospital won't be open until 2012. (If you're guessing it was because it was an election year, you guessed right.) If you live in rural area of the country, then your services are even harder to get to.
That's the biggest problem of all. When they are in the military, they are assigned to various bases and they receive the same kind of care no matter where they are from. All of them are treated equally until they leave the military. Then it does depend on where they live. Their claims are processed depending on where they live with some parts of the country harder to have claims approved and the rating decisions are different. Some parts of the country are more able to treat PTSD than others are just as some are better equipped to take care of serious illnesses better than others. Then you have to add in the communities as well. When the VA can't take care of all the needs of the veterans, most of the time they rely on the facilities in the area to take care of what is needed. Some communities are better than others.
Just as this report points out, some VA's do their own thing when it comes to being able to make purchases, leaving some of us scratching our heads wondering why they are not all the same no matter where they happen to be.
If you live in an area of the country, like Boston, there are many facilities to go to including clinics, but if you live in the Orlando area, the only place to go is the VA Clinic in Winter Park. If you need to have surgery along with many other procedures, you have to travel to Tampa. There is a hospital being built in Lake Nona. The ground breaking was in October of 2008 but the hospital won't be open until 2012. (If you're guessing it was because it was an election year, you guessed right.) If you live in rural area of the country, then your services are even harder to get to.
That's the biggest problem of all. When they are in the military, they are assigned to various bases and they receive the same kind of care no matter where they are from. All of them are treated equally until they leave the military. Then it does depend on where they live. Their claims are processed depending on where they live with some parts of the country harder to have claims approved and the rating decisions are different. Some parts of the country are more able to treat PTSD than others are just as some are better equipped to take care of serious illnesses better than others. Then you have to add in the communities as well. When the VA can't take care of all the needs of the veterans, most of the time they rely on the facilities in the area to take care of what is needed. Some communities are better than others.
Just as this report points out, some VA's do their own thing when it comes to being able to make purchases, leaving some of us scratching our heads wondering why they are not all the same no matter where they happen to be.
Clear Need for Procurement Reform at VA
House Committee Taking Steps to Fight Fraud, Abuse and Waste
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2009
Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, December 16, 2009, the House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, led by Chairman Harry Mitchell (D-AZ), conducted a hearing to examine the processes and needs of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) acquisition system and procurement structure. The Subcommittee reviewed recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) and VA Inspector General (IG) reports that detail unfairness and inefficiency in VA contracting.
“We all know that the acquisition system within the Department of Veterans Affairs has failed to develop a process that is both transparent and fiscally responsible,” said Chairman Mitchell. “Our hearing will hopefully determine the extent of the reform needed in order to ensure that the acquisition process within the VA is one that is fair, fiscally responsible, and effective. And, most importantly, serves veterans.”
Reports indicate that VA does not consistently acquire the best available price at a detriment to the taxpayers and veterans for several reasons. Most notably, most medical centers have negotiated and purchased medical healthcare services through contracts that individual VA medical centers have negotiated. This erodes the federal government’s leverage of its tremendous buying power. A 2004 GAO report stated that though VA had implemented policies and procedures that required medical centers to purchase medical products and services through VA’s contract programs, a VA IG report found that the medical centers continued to make many less cost efficient purchases from local suppliers. The VA IG estimated that, with improved procurement practices at medical centers, VA could have saved, in 2004, about $1.4 billion over 5 years.
read more here
Clear Need for Procurement Reform at VA
Friday, July 17, 2009
Training and Support for Veteran Caregivers Bills Pass VA Committee
Veterans’ Affairs Committee Passes Bill to Provide Training and Support for Veteran Caregivers
Written by Imperial Valley News
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Washington, DC - The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs led by Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA), approved four bills that would improve benefits and services to veterans provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
“Today, this Committee passed a slate of bills that will have a significant impact on the lives of veterans when they become law,” said Chairman Filner. “I would specifically like to thank the freshman Members of this Committee for their ability to get right to work and address the needs of our Nation’s veterans.”
The Committee approved a comprehensive bill to expand necessary life insurance options for veterans and their families, as well as improve medical services at VA hospitals and clinics around the country. Also passed were bills to streamline the process for nonprofit research and education corporations to participate in VA research endeavors, increase the amount available to disabled veterans for structural improvements for their homes, and provide essential support and training to those caring for this Nation’s wounded veterans.
H.R. 3219,
H.R. 1293
H.R. 3155
Written by Imperial Valley News
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Washington, DC - The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs led by Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA), approved four bills that would improve benefits and services to veterans provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
“Today, this Committee passed a slate of bills that will have a significant impact on the lives of veterans when they become law,” said Chairman Filner. “I would specifically like to thank the freshman Members of this Committee for their ability to get right to work and address the needs of our Nation’s veterans.”
The Committee approved a comprehensive bill to expand necessary life insurance options for veterans and their families, as well as improve medical services at VA hospitals and clinics around the country. Also passed were bills to streamline the process for nonprofit research and education corporations to participate in VA research endeavors, increase the amount available to disabled veterans for structural improvements for their homes, and provide essential support and training to those caring for this Nation’s wounded veterans.
H.R. 3219,
H.R. 1293
H.R. 3155
H.R. 2770, as amended – Veterans Nonprofit Research and Education Corp orations Enhancement Act of 2009 (Filner)
This bill would modify and update provisions of law relating to nonprofit research and education corporations so they can better support VA research. Specifically, this bill expands the general authorities on establishing nonprofit research corporations by authorizing the creation of multi-medical center research corporations where two or more VA medical centers share one corporation and improves accountability of the corporations by detailing the audit requirements.
read more here
Training and Support for Veteran Caregivers
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Veteran's best friends are watchdogs.
Veteran's best friends are watchdogs. Three of them are on one post over at the Daily Kos. If you are like me, you read titles of Bills and hear how wonderful the creators of these Bills think they are. I tend to get too busy to really read them and honestly, most of the language used confuses the hell out of me. That's why it's important for us to trust the experts on these Bills to make sure they are not worse than nothing. I understand PTSD and what comes with it but I also understand how harmful well sounding Bills can end up being and we fall for them all the time. We end up supporting Bills, contacting Congress to vote for them, only to discover that the Bill was akin to selling back Manhattan to the Indians because it had the title like Land Restoration Act never noticing to what point in history they planned on going back to. They do it to us all the time.
Here from the Daily Kos we have such a shady deal going on.
Senator Richard Burr received this from the IAVA Report Card
Burr is ranking member on the Veteran's Affairs committee yet he's trying to pull this off? And they are letting him try why? Last time I checked is a "C" is just average and the problems our veterans have right now should require at least someone with a "B" or above to tackle any part of it. But this is all part of the tricks they like to play on us. It's easy to fool us because all we care about is the veterans and what they need and it's really hard for us to ever think anyone in Congress would ever try to screw them. But they do it all the time. Thanks to Scharrison over at Daily Kos, and USDR, along with people like Larry Scott, the rest of us are not going to get hoodwinked into supporting something that will do more harm to the veterans than good.
And the USDR (Uniformed Services Disabled Retirees) Abel Quinones does exactly that.
These are the Bills
Larry Scott over at VA Watchdog was mentioned on this piece because he took aim at anything attached to Dr. Sally Satel. She is also a favorite target of mine. Satel is one of the PTSD deniers that likes to blame the veteran, call them slackers and accuse them of sucking off the system. Yep, that type.
Here from the Daily Kos we have such a shady deal going on.
Senator Richard Burr received this from the IAVA Report Card
Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
1st term Republican from North Carolina.
IAVA Action Grade
C
(6 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor)
Current Elected Office Committees:
Armed Services
Energy and Natural Resources
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Select Committee on Intelligence
Veterans' Affairs , Rnk. Mem.
http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/444&lvl=C&chamber=S
Burr is ranking member on the Veteran's Affairs committee yet he's trying to pull this off? And they are letting him try why? Last time I checked is a "C" is just average and the problems our veterans have right now should require at least someone with a "B" or above to tackle any part of it. But this is all part of the tricks they like to play on us. It's easy to fool us because all we care about is the veterans and what they need and it's really hard for us to ever think anyone in Congress would ever try to screw them. But they do it all the time. Thanks to Scharrison over at Daily Kos, and USDR, along with people like Larry Scott, the rest of us are not going to get hoodwinked into supporting something that will do more harm to the veterans than good.
Richard Burr: No Friend To Veterans
by scharrison
Richard Burr: No Friend To Veterans Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 11:54:21 AM PDT
As a veteran, my eyes and ears tend to perk up whenever the military is mentioned, whether in the media or even just in casual conversation. I can't help it. And if a politician claims to be "looking out for" or "representing" veterans' interests, I pay even closer attention, because that's one of those things that voters love to hear, but seldom follow up on. Richard Burr has developed a reputation as being "big" on veterans' issues, and I think it's about time we followed up on that.
scharrison's diary :: ::
Before I begin, I want to make sure that everybody understands that our senior Senator from North Carolina has been well-informed on these issues. He's been privy to countless briefings exposing the needs of veterans over the years, so any mistakes he's made can't be attributed to a lack of knowledge. Also, although I usually refrain from linking to (other) blogs because I don't want readers to have to struggle to find primary sources, I'm going to post a few here, because they are concerned voices that deserve to be heard.
Concerned About America's Wounded Warrior Act (11Mar2008)
As a disabled veteran with my fellow California Comrades are most concerned with the provisions of Senator Burr's America's Wounded Warrior Act (S 2674) and Representative Buyer's Nobel Warrior Act (HR 5509). I’m asking veterans to review the proposed drastically changes for disability compensation system for America's veterans. Then ask your Senators and Congress Representative to oppose this legislation.
Let me explain these bills are loosely based on the recommendations of the President's Commission on Care for America's Wounded Warriors (Dole/Shalala Commission), but the specifics of these bills would do great harm to most veterans in the following ways:
go here and read the rest
Richard Burr: No Friend To Veterans
And the USDR (Uniformed Services Disabled Retirees) Abel Quinones does exactly that.
For these reasons, among others, I strongly urge you to oppose S2674/HR5509 and any other legislation which is detrimental to and/or discriminatory against this nation's veterans.
go here for more
Concerned About America's Wounded Warrior Act
These are the Bills
Noble Warrior Act
To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve and enhance procedures for the retirement of members of the Armed Forces for disability and to improve and enhance authorities for the rating and compensation of service-connected disabilities in veterans, and for other purposes.
previous 110th session of congress
Other Bill Titles (2 more)
Hide Other Bill Titles
Short: Noble Warrior Act as introduced.
Official: To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve and enhance procedures for the retirement of members of the Armed Forces for disability and to improve and enhance authorities for the rating and compensation of service-connected disabilities in veterans, and for other purposes. as introduced.
2/28/2008--Introduced.
Noble Warrior Act - Amends federal armed forces provisions to add new provisions concerning the retirement for disability of members of the Armed Forces (members) following the implementation of an enhanced Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation system (implemented under this Act). Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to continue after discharge or separation from active duty respite care and aid and other extended care benefits for members who incur a serious injury or illness while serving on such duty. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) to conduct a study to determine the appropriate:
(1) amount of compensation for service-connected disability payable to veterans for each assigned rating of disability; and
(2) amounts and duration of transition payments and rehabilitation transition allowances payable to veterans participating in a rehabilitation program. Requires the Secretary to conduct a study on measures to assist and encourage veterans in the completion of their vocational rehabilitation plans. Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress a proposal on the purposes and amounts of veterans' disability compensation and veterans' transition benefits. Provides for congressional consideration (by way of a joint resolution) of such proposal. Makes the effective date of implementation of the enhanced VA disability compensation system the date on which the authority of Congress to disapprove the Secretary's proposal expires, as long as Congress does not disapprove the proposal before such date. Revises the current VA schedule of disability ratings to take into account losses of earning capacity and quality of life as a result of the disability. Provides revised compensation and transition payments in connection with service-connected disabilities. Allows a retired veteran entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability to elect to provide a monthly supplemental survivor benefit to the veteran's surviving spouse and/or children. Authorizes such election by veterans:
(1) at the time of award of the disability compensation;
(2) not married at the time of award of the compensation who later marry; and
(3) married at the time of award of the compensation who later remarry. Allows a veteran to revoke the election of a benefit to a surviving spouse. Provides for the receipt of such benefit on the first day of the first month after the veteran dies. Requires the:
(1) reduction of disability compensation due to the election of the supplemental survivor benefit; and
(2) offset of the supplemental survivor benefit by the amount of dependency and indemnity compensation received.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h5509/show
America's Wounded Warriors Act
A bill to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve and enhance procedures for the retirement of members of the Armed Forces for disability and to improve and enhance authorities for the rating and compensation of service-connected disabilities in veterans, and for other purposes.
previous 110th session of congress
Other Bill Titles (2 more)
Hide Other Bill Titles
Short: America's Wounded Warriors Act as introduced.
Official: A bill to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve and enhance procedures for the retirement of members of the Armed Forces for disability and to improve and enhance authorities for the rating and compensation of service-connected disabilities in veterans, and for other purposes. as introduced.
2/28/2008--Introduced.
America's Wounded Warriors Act - Amends federal armed forces provisions to add new provisions concerning the retirement for disability of members of the Armed Forces (members) following the implementation of an enhanced Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation system (implemented under this Act). Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to continue after discharge or separation from active duty respite care and aid and other extended care benefits for members who incur a serious injury or illness while serving on such duty. Directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study to determine the number of retired members who will be eligible for medical and dental care following implementation of the enhanced VA disability compensation system. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) to conduct a study to determine the appropriate:
(1) amount of compensation for service-connected disability payable to veterans for each assigned rating of disability; and
(2) amounts and duration of transition payments and rehabilitation transition allowances payable to veterans participating in a rehabilitation program. Requires the Secretary to conduct a study on measures to assist and encourage veterans in the completion of their vocational rehabilitation plans. Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress a proposal on the purposes and amounts of veterans' disability compensation and veterans' transition benefits. Provides for congressional consideration (by way of a joint resolution) of such proposal. Makes the effective date of implementation of the enhanced VA disability compensation system the date on which the authority of Congress to disapprove the Secretary's proposal expires, as long as Congress does not disapprove the proposal before such date. Revises the current VA schedule of disability ratings to take into account losses of earning capacity and quality of life as a result of the disability. Provides revised compensation and transition payments in connection with service-connected disabilities. Allows a retired veteran entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability to elect to provide a monthly supplemental survivor benefit to the veteran's surviving spouse and/or children. Authorizes such election by veterans:
(1) at the time of award of the disability compensation;
(2) not married at the time of award of the compensation who later marry; and
(3) married at the time of award of the compensation who later remarry. Allows a veteran to revoke the election of a benefit to a surviving spouse. Provides for the receipt of such benefit on the first day of the first month after the veteran dies. Requires the:
(1) reduction of disability compensation due to the election of the supplemental survivor benefit; and
(2) offset of the supplemental survivor benefit by the amount of dependency and indemnity compensation received.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-s2674/show
Larry Scott over at VA Watchdog was mentioned on this piece because he took aim at anything attached to Dr. Sally Satel. She is also a favorite target of mine. Satel is one of the PTSD deniers that likes to blame the veteran, call them slackers and accuse them of sucking off the system. Yep, that type.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Vets committee wants $800 million more for VA
Vets committee wants $800 million more for VA
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 13, 2009 16:56:21 EDT
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee asked Friday for an $800 million increase in the Obama administration’s proposed 2010 budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which already represents the biggest one-year VA increase in history.
The discretionary veterans budget, which covers health care and administrative costs but not benefits, would be $53.3 billion under the committee’s proposal that includes a $200 million increase in operating expenses and a $600 million increase in medical expenses.
Under the proposal, VA would see a $5.7 billion increase in the 2010 budget over current spending.
An explanation of the increase says that the $600 million for health care funding is not really an increase in overall spending but a revision in the budget because the committee does not accept an Obama administration proposal that it will raise $3.4 billion in 2010 by billing private medical insurance for part of the cost of treating veterans in VA facilities. That would be a 36 percent increase over collections made this year.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/03/military_VA_budget_031309w/
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 13, 2009 16:56:21 EDT
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee asked Friday for an $800 million increase in the Obama administration’s proposed 2010 budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which already represents the biggest one-year VA increase in history.
The discretionary veterans budget, which covers health care and administrative costs but not benefits, would be $53.3 billion under the committee’s proposal that includes a $200 million increase in operating expenses and a $600 million increase in medical expenses.
Under the proposal, VA would see a $5.7 billion increase in the 2010 budget over current spending.
An explanation of the increase says that the $600 million for health care funding is not really an increase in overall spending but a revision in the budget because the committee does not accept an Obama administration proposal that it will raise $3.4 billion in 2010 by billing private medical insurance for part of the cost of treating veterans in VA facilities. That would be a 36 percent increase over collections made this year.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/03/military_VA_budget_031309w/
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Veterans exposed to incorrect drug doses
Just keeps getting worse and worse for our veterans at the same time they tell us they are finally getting things right.
Veterans exposed to incorrect drug doses
San Diego Union Tribune -
San Diego,CA,USA
By HOPE YEN, The Associated Press 11:37 a.m. January 14, 2009
WASHINGTON — The top Republican on the House Veterans Affairs Committee demanded Wednesday that the VA explain how it allowed software glitches to put the medical care of patients at its health centers nationwide at risk.
"I am deeply concerned about the consequences on patient care that could have resulted from this 'software glitch' and that mistakes were not disclosed to patients who were directly affected," said Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind. "I have asked VA for a forensic analysis of all pertinent records to determine if any veterans were harmed, and I would like to know who was responsible for the testing and authorized the release of the new application."
Patients at VA health centers were given incorrect doses of drugs, had needed treatments delayed and may have been exposed to other medical errors due to the glitches that showed faulty displays of their electronic health records, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act.
The glitches, which began in August and lingered until last month, were not disclosed to patients by the VA even though they sometimes involved prolonged infusions for drugs such as blood-thinning heparin, which can be life-threatening in excessive doses.
click link above for more
Friday, November 14, 2008
Congressman Filner, do VA hearing right or not at all!
Congressman Filner, the veterans in this country need this to be done right. Otherwise it is just paying more lip service instead of taking care of them. Have you ever considered what these veterans are going thru when they do their duty, serve their country, get wounded and then have to fight the government after? Have you ever considered what this does to them and their families as they wait, and wait, and wait? They didn't make the government wait until they got around to going to combat and risking their lives so why is the government under the impression they are entitled to make the veterans wait to have their claims processed and approved so their wounds are treated and their families are provided for? Can they tell a mortgage company to wait? Can they tell a landlord to wait? If they cannot work they don't have an income!
If you think this is just about Afghanistan and Iraq veterans you better think again. Too many Vietnam veterans are still waiting to have their claims approved and have fought the government in order to finally have justice. How many do you need to sit in front of you giving sworn testimony before you understand that? This is just the latest slap in the face to veterans when they found out claims were being shredded and filing dates changed to not make it look that bad. We have to get this right and get it right now. Our veterans should not have to wait to be taken care of! kc
If you think this is just about Afghanistan and Iraq veterans you better think again. Too many Vietnam veterans are still waiting to have their claims approved and have fought the government in order to finally have justice. How many do you need to sit in front of you giving sworn testimony before you understand that? This is just the latest slap in the face to veterans when they found out claims were being shredded and filing dates changed to not make it look that bad. We have to get this right and get it right now. Our veterans should not have to wait to be taken care of! kc
Vets committee reneges on VA hearings
Nov 14, 2008
November 14, 2008
Vets committee reneges on VA hearings
The chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs won't hold hearings as promised on a shredding controversy at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Instead of a formal hearing, the committee chairman will hold a two-hour "round table" discussion on Wednesday in Washington without sworn witnesses and no assurance the VA will even participate.
Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., who chairs the committee, could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday and no explanation about the change was provided by committee staff.
click link for more
Friday, October 17, 2008
Key lawmaker says he’s losing faith in VA
Key lawmaker says he’s losing faith in VA
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 17, 2008 12:44:19 EDT
The chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee says he completely understands why many veterans have lost confidence in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“I am sure there are good people working there who are trying very hard and have the best of intentions, but they are bunglers,” said Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif. “You lose confidence in these people by watching them.”
Filner, a frequent critic of VA, cited two examples: the department’s abandoned plans to use a private contractor to help launch the new GI Bill benefits program next year, and VA’s order Thursday to its 57 regional offices to stop shredding documents after veterans’ claims materials were found in piles of paper waiting to be destroyed.
“This is an insult to veterans,” Filner said.
click post title for more
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 17, 2008 12:44:19 EDT
The chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee says he completely understands why many veterans have lost confidence in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“I am sure there are good people working there who are trying very hard and have the best of intentions, but they are bunglers,” said Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif. “You lose confidence in these people by watching them.”
Filner, a frequent critic of VA, cited two examples: the department’s abandoned plans to use a private contractor to help launch the new GI Bill benefits program next year, and VA’s order Thursday to its 57 regional offices to stop shredding documents after veterans’ claims materials were found in piles of paper waiting to be destroyed.
“This is an insult to veterans,” Filner said.
click post title for more
Friday, September 26, 2008
Congressman Filner Leads House in Passage of Comprehensive Veterans Bills
Filner Leads House in Passage of Comprehensive Veterans Bills
Written by Imperial Valley News
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Washington, DC - On Wednesday, September 24, 2008, Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, announced that the House of Representatives passed comprehensive legislation to provide improved health care services and increased benefits for our Nation’s veterans.
Chairman Filner (D-CA) thanked his Republican and Democratic colleagues for their contributions to the comprehensive legislative package. He also thanked his Senate counterparts for their dedication to working together to craft legislation that will address the important and timely needs of veterans.
Chairman Filner offered the following statement on the House Floor: “Over the course of the 110th Congress, we have learned much about the needs of our Nation’s veterans and the bills passed today go a long way to address them. S. 2162 takes care of the men and women who have given so much to defend this Nation and provides our veterans with the quality health care programs and services they need and so richly deserve. S. 3023 will help modernize the VA claims processing system and assist it in becoming a 21st century, world-class entity that reflects the selfless and priceless sacrifices of those it serves - our veterans, their families, and survivors.”
The following bills were considered and approved by the House of Representatives:
S. 2162, as amended - The Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (Introduced by Senator Akaka)
Provisions of the bill include (but are not limited to):
* Expanding treatment for substance use disorders and mental health care;
* Conducting research into co-morbid PTSD and substance use disorders through the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder;
* Providing mental health care, including counseling, for families, of veterans;
* Providing reimbursement for a veteran for the costs of emergency treatment received in a non-VA facility;
* Establishing a pilot program to allow a highly rural veteran to receive non-VA health care;
* Designating at least four VA health care facilities as epilepsy centers of excellence;
* Mandating the VA to centralize third party billing functions at consolidated centers;
* Eliminating a rule prohibiting VA from conducting widespread testing for HIV infection;
* Expanding health care benefits provided to the children of Vietnam and Korean war veterans born with spina bifida;
* Developing and implementing a comprehensive policy on pain care management;
* Expanding referral and counseling services for certain at-risk and transitional veterans;
* Providing support services for very low-income veteran families residing in permanent housing; and,
* Authorizing major medical facility projects for 2009
click post title for more
Written by Imperial Valley News
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Washington, DC - On Wednesday, September 24, 2008, Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, announced that the House of Representatives passed comprehensive legislation to provide improved health care services and increased benefits for our Nation’s veterans.
Chairman Filner (D-CA) thanked his Republican and Democratic colleagues for their contributions to the comprehensive legislative package. He also thanked his Senate counterparts for their dedication to working together to craft legislation that will address the important and timely needs of veterans.
Chairman Filner offered the following statement on the House Floor: “Over the course of the 110th Congress, we have learned much about the needs of our Nation’s veterans and the bills passed today go a long way to address them. S. 2162 takes care of the men and women who have given so much to defend this Nation and provides our veterans with the quality health care programs and services they need and so richly deserve. S. 3023 will help modernize the VA claims processing system and assist it in becoming a 21st century, world-class entity that reflects the selfless and priceless sacrifices of those it serves - our veterans, their families, and survivors.”
The following bills were considered and approved by the House of Representatives:
S. 2162, as amended - The Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (Introduced by Senator Akaka)
Provisions of the bill include (but are not limited to):
* Expanding treatment for substance use disorders and mental health care;
* Conducting research into co-morbid PTSD and substance use disorders through the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder;
* Providing mental health care, including counseling, for families, of veterans;
* Providing reimbursement for a veteran for the costs of emergency treatment received in a non-VA facility;
* Establishing a pilot program to allow a highly rural veteran to receive non-VA health care;
* Designating at least four VA health care facilities as epilepsy centers of excellence;
* Mandating the VA to centralize third party billing functions at consolidated centers;
* Eliminating a rule prohibiting VA from conducting widespread testing for HIV infection;
* Expanding health care benefits provided to the children of Vietnam and Korean war veterans born with spina bifida;
* Developing and implementing a comprehensive policy on pain care management;
* Expanding referral and counseling services for certain at-risk and transitional veterans;
* Providing support services for very low-income veteran families residing in permanent housing; and,
* Authorizing major medical facility projects for 2009
click post title for more
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Veterans Affairs Committee knew problems in 2003
If you read back on transcripts from the Veterans Affairs Committee, you can see there were problems already known way back. This one from 2003 was a clear indication of what the veterans were heading into. The problem was no one did enough about any of it. Now they are trying to play catch up but they need to try a lot harder or we'll be reading about the problems they knew about five years from now and scratching our heads as to why so little was done to face them and correct the problems.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS,
Washington, DC
The committee met, pursuant to call, at 2:12 p.m., in room 334,
Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Christopher H. Smith (chairman
of the committee) presiding.
Present: Representatives Smith, Simmons, Brown of South Carolina,
Boozman, Bradley, Beauprez, Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida,
Renzi, Evans and Filner.
OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN SMITH
The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. Good afternoon.
Last night President Bush reported that the State of the Union
was strong. Today we will examine the state of veterans’ health
care to see if it is equally strong.
Only days ago the Department of Veterans Affairs announced
that for the first time it would use its authority to curtail new enrollments
for veterans’ health care. VA reported that at least, and
I emphasize at least, 200,000 veterans are waiting 6 months or
longer for their first appointment with a VA doctor, and that estimate
doesn’t count those still waiting to enroll in the system. Many
of those waiting are 100 percent disabled and paralyzed veterans.
In fact, when Secretary Principi sent one of his deputies, Gordon
Mansfield, a decorated Vietnam veteran paralyzed in combat, to try
and enroll in VA health care, he was turned away in state after
state due to overcrowding.
Earlier this month Chairman Buyer and committee staff visited
one medical center in Florida and discovered that over 2,700 veterans
are waiting to be scheduled to see a VA audiologist, over 4,000
veterans are waiting to see an eye specialist, and almost 700 are
waiting to see a cardiologist. More than half of these veterans were
high-priority veterans in categories 1 through 7. All reports indicate
that a similar situation exists at a majority of VA medical centers
throughout the country. Care delayed, I would respectfully
submit, is care denied.
At the same time there remain at least 275,000 homeless veterans
who—and that is a VA estimate, the VSO has put the number
even higher—who desperately need a helping hand, yet VA is unable
to fully fund programs that Congress approved less than 2
years ago. The VA has closed over 1,500 long-term care beds at a
time when World War II and Korean War veterans are most in
need of assistance. Despite an increase in the number of veterans
who have service-connected mental illnesses such as post-traumatic
stress disorder, VA is providing less care overall than it did in previous
fiscal years. And most troubling of all, according to the VA’s
own published documents in the Federal Register of January 17,
the VA will be short, $1.9 billion in their health care budget for
this fiscal year, and that assumes that the VA will receive the full
$23.9 billion for health care approved last year by both the House
and the Senate Appropriations Committees.
Let me emphasize what I just said. The VA projects that it needs
other $1.9 billion this year to meet the health care needs of veterans
already enrolled. To put this in perspective, $1.9 billion is the
annual cost of providing care to roughly 422,000 veterans from all
priority groups, veterans who are already in the system.
How does the VA plan to make up the difference this year? The
only proposal to date is the freeze on enrollment of new priority 8
veterans, a move that the VA projects could save at most $130 million
this year.
Some have suggested that Congress is to blame for the shortfall
in funding for the veterans’ health care, but the record over the
past 5 years is clear that each Administration request has been a
budget floor, while Congress has added funds above the request
each and every one of those years. For fiscal year 2003, the Administration
requested a 6 percent increase. The House passed and the
Congress is expected to approve an 11 percent increase. That is $1
billion above the VA budget request. Over the past 5 years Congress
has consistently provided greater funding than was requested
by the Administration, on average over $300 million each year. In
addition, last year Congress passed a supplemental appropriation
that included $417 million for VA health care. Regrettably, the Administration refused to accept $275 million of that supplemental targeted for veterans’ medical care.
Others have suggested that the VA’s problems are driven by enrollment
of veterans who were not injured during their service, socalled
lower-priority veterans in category 8. However, it is clear
that even if VA had never offered priority 8 veterans the opportunity
to receive care from the VA, it would still be swamped with
service-connected and low-income veterans who are in the high-priority
categories.
According to the VA, the number of high-priority veterans enrolled
in VA health care is projected to rise by 384,000, or 7.5 percent
this year, and by 281,000 next year. A total of 5.8 million
high-priority veterans will be enrolled for VA health care next fiscal
year, and this trend will not diminish for several more years.
The word ‘‘crisis’’ is often overused in this town, but clearly VA
health care is in crisis, the funding of VA health care, and it is at
a crossroads. Last year I, along with my good friend Lane Evans,
offered several bills seeking long-term solutions to VA health care
funding problems. H.R. 4939 would have allowed the VA to be reimbursed
by Medicare for providing care to Medicare-eligible veterans.
H.R. 5250 would have made VA health care funding a formula-
driven budget item, based upon demand and medical inflation
rather than a discretionary budget item. H.R. 5392 would have al3
lowed the VA to recover costs of medical care from third parties in
the same manner as if VA were a preferred provider organization.
And finally, H.R. 5530 would have enhanced the right of the VA
to recover payments from third parties for providing non-serviceconnected
care.
We are again preparing to introduce legislation on a bipartisan
basis to provide long-term solutions to VA’s funding problems, but
before we can arrive at solutions, we first need to agree on the nature
and scope of the problems. For some, the Secretary’s decision
to cut off enrollment of 164,000 category 8 veterans was a solution.
To me and many others it is a problem.
So I return to the central question of today’s hearing: How well
is VA fulfilling its statutory mandate to provide the full range of
health care services that veterans have earned? Are service-connected
disabled and paralyzed veterans receiving timely and comprehensive
care, including access to the latest advances in medicine
and technology? Is VA meeting its obligations to indigent veterans,
those who have fallen on hard times, including those suffering from
drug addiction and mental health problems? How about our elderly
veterans? Many who fought on the beaches of Normandy or in the
forests of the Ardennes, and the across the frozen Chosin Reservoir,
are they receiving the long-term care Congress mandated
for them in the Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act of 2000?
(Which again, was passed by a previous Congress and remains to
be adequately acted upon by the administration).
Many of you have heard of the American Legion’s project called
‘‘I Am Not a Number.’’ It is helping to put a human face on veterans’
health care issues rather than just focusing on numbers such
as budget allocations and enrollment projections. It reminds me of
a saying often used by Mark Twain, and it is quite appropriate for
today’s hearing. Twain said there were three kinds of lies: Lies,
damn lies, and statistics. I think that Mr. Twain and the American
Legion have it right: Veterans are not numbers, their health is not
a statistic, and our Nation’s debt to them must be more than just
words. We can do better, and I do believe we will.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Smith appears on p. 45.]
The CHAIRMAN. I would like to yield to Mr. Evans for any opening
comments he might have.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. LANE EVANS, RANKING
DEMOCRATIC MEMBER, COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
Mr. EVANS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of this committee.
I welcome the new members of the committee who are joining
us for the first time today.
I am also deeply disappointed to learn that Secretary Principi
had recently decided to bar those highest-income veterans who had
not already enrolled for care from applying for VA services. I was
particularly disappointed, Mr. Chairman, given our bipartisan recommendation
to the Budget Committee to increase the President’s
request for VA funding levels fiscal year 2003 by $2.2 billion. Unfortunately
the appropriation that is before us is below that level
and will only aggravate the VA’s health care problems.
But, Mr. Chairman, there is a solution. You and I introduced
H.R. 5250, the Veterans Health Care Funding Guarantee Act of
2002, which would have established a mandatory funding stream
for the VA health care.
I want to reaffirm my commitment and ask for yours in working
together to address any obstacles that have been set in our path
in getting this legislation reintroduced in the near future. I look
forward to working with you, Mr. Chairman.
I yield back.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you for your comments.
[The prepared statement of Congressman Evans appears on p.
46.]
The CHAIRMAN. I would like to introduce our very distinguished
Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Robert Roswell, who was confirmed
by the Senate on March 22, 2002. Dr. Roswell has directed
the VA’s health care network for Florida and Puerto Rico since
1995. Dr. Roswell previously held positions as Chief of Staff at the
VA medical centers in Birmingham Alabama, Oklahoma City; and
held leadership positions in other VA facilities and VA central office
in Washington.
He is a 1975 graduate of the University of Oklahoma School of
Medicine, where he completed his residency in internal medicine,
and a fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism.
Dr. Roswell served on Active Duty in the U.S. Army from 1978
to 1980 and is currently a colonel in the Army Reserve Medical
Corps.
Thank you for being here. We look forward to your testimony.
STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT H. ROSWELL, M.D., UNDER
SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
Dr. ROSWELL. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, I am
pleased to be here today to discuss the challenges facing VA in
meeting the current demand for VA health care services. With your
permission, I will provide a brief summary of my formal statement
and ask that the formal statement be included in the record.
Today’s VA health care system is one of the most effective and
successful health care systems in the Nation. VA’s performance
now surpasses many government targets for health care quality as
well as measured private sector performance. For 16 of 18 indicators
critical to the care of veterans and directly comparable externally,
VA is now the benchmark for the entire Nation. VA is also
leading the way in assuring safe health environments and health
care delivery, and we are continuing our efforts to achieve additional
cost efficiencies.
Today VA has nearly 1,300 sites of care and is providing care to
nearly 48 percent more veterans than in 1997. At the same time
we have reduced the cost of care per veteran by 26 percent through
more efficient and effective care delivery.
VA continues to place a strong emphasis on comprehensive speciality
care, but we now also emphasize coordination of care
through primary care providers. With this transformation, and by
employing new models of care coordination and delivery, veterans
have gained access to an integrated health care system focusing on
addressing their health care needs before hospitalization becomes
necessary.
Mr. Chairman, while the changes in the VA health care system
have been profound, and the benefits have been recognized both inside
and outside the Department, we also face significant challenges.
VA is currently experiencing an unprecedented demand for
health care services. We had nearly 800,000 new enrollees in fiscal
year 2002 alone, and currently we have almost 6.6 million veterans
enrolled. We currently project that we will provide care to 4.6 million
veterans this year. This represents a 70 percent increase since
1996. Continued workload growth of this magnitude is clearly
unsustainable within VA’s current level of available resources.
As discussed in my formal statement, VA has taken steps to assure
priority access to service-connected veterans, veterans who are
poor and those with special needs.
And recently we announced our decision to suspend enrollment
of new Priority 8 veterans. We did not reach this decision easily.
However, it was a decision that had to be made in order to maintain
the quality of health care we provide to currently enrolled veterans
and those higher-priority veterans who have yet to enroll,
and to assure that our system will be ready and able to meet any
and all needs of veterans of a future conflict, should one occur.
The Secretary has also announced that work is under way with
the Department of Health and Human Services to determine how
to give Medicare-eligible Priority 8 veterans who cannot enroll in
VA’s health care system access to a VA+Choice Medicare plan
which would include prescription drug benefits very similar to the
type of plan the President mentioned last evening. Our goal is to
have this option available by the end of the year.
During much of the past year, we have had over 300,000 patients
on waiting lists to receive medical care. Currently, about 200,000
veterans are on those lists. VA has made concerted efforts to reduce
waiting times and eliminate excessive waits. With the additional
funding requested for fiscal year 2003 and the enrollment decision,
we expect to significantly reduce these waits this year.
We must also continue to find better ways to deliver care. We
need new ways to partner with patients to more effectively manage
health care continuously. This approach will involve a fundamental
change in how we view health care from a provider-centric to a patient-
centric focus. Implementing this approach will have a substantial
impact on primary care, but an even more profound impact
on long-term care. Institutional long-term care is very costly and
may impair the long-term spousal relationships and reduce quality
of life.
The technology and skills exist to meet a substantial portion of
long-term care needs in noninstitutional settings. Nursing home
care should always be the option of last resort.
To oversee many of the initiatives needed to implement a new
patient-centered model for care in long-term care, I have created
the new Office of Care Coordination. This office will have in its
charge such issues as the use of technology and care coordination
and the development and implementation of policy and initiatives
for chronic disease management and long-term care.
But while there is much that VA can do on its own, we also need
the committee’s assistance. For more than 30 years VA has developed
a continuum of institutional and noninstitutional services to
meet the extended care needs of veterans, including VA-provided
contracted and State home services. I believe that the capacity requirement
included in the Millennium Act should be updated to reflect
VA’s current direction in the provision of all types of long-term
care.
We also need your help to assure VA’s ability to remain competitive
in pay and work force innovations. We expect to experience
increasing difficulties in the year ahead in maintaining our nursing
work force, and we currently expect to face severe challenges in recruiting
physicians, especially in scarce specialties. VA’s current
pay authorities are stretched to the maximum and the Department
can no longer offer competitive salaries for many medical
specialties.
We are developing a comprehensive work force improvement proposal
that would improve our ability to recruit and retain physicians,
nurses and other health care occupations. The administration
expects to submit this proposal by late spring of this year.
Mr. Chairman, the current state of VA health care is excellent.
We have—but we have much to do to maintain and build upon that
excellence. My vision of the future of VA health care is positive, but
we must deliberately address the challenges I have outlined today
or risk a very different future.
This concludes my statement. I will be happy to answer any
questions you or other members of the committee have. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Roswell appears on p. 56.]
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much Dr. Roswell.
Let me just begin by congratulating you on a very, very difficult
job that you have undertaken. I think you do it with great passion,
but unfortunately, you get handicapped by the resources that you
have at your disposal and fault for that certainly can be spread in
a number of areas. OMB always comes to mind. Congress comes to
mind. I mean, it seems to me that our endeavor needs to be to
marry up the need with sufficient resources so that rationing, however
unwittingly, doesn’t happen.
In the Secretary’s interim final rule, if I read the numbers correctly,
is how we derive that shortfall of $1.9 billion. I hope that
you work with us, notwithstanding OMB’s direction, to try to get
that additional money.
I know the appropriations bill is moving, and it won’t even come
close to meeting that. But supplementals are something that happen
frequently, or at least maybe once a year, and it seems to me
that once again, the veterans are voting with their feet. They are
choosing VA health care because of the services provided, in some
cases because of the pharmaceutical benefit which is significant for
the category 7s and 8s. But the sense is that there is a good health
care delivery network. They want to be a part of it. The CBOCs
have made it possible as access points for many veterans who may
not have even thought of it before to now become consumers of veterans’
health care.
As you and Secretary Principi have so ably pointed out, especially
for our senior population, it is a good deal for the government
when they use VA health care—25, 30 percent less per capita per
patient than if they used a Medicare provider in a more traditional
sense or setting. It seems to me that when Uncle Sam, this spigot,
Medicare or some other spigot, or General Treasury funds, is paying,
we can’t a case that we get a better utilization of our tax dollar
going into VA health care. I continue to be baffled. Why we can’t
make that case sufficiently to get these resources?
And so, generally you know where I’m coming from, because we
have had this discussion, but I hope maybe you can just speak to
it a little more and maybe talk about the $1.9 billion—is that the
shortfall for this coming year? Are we reading these papers
correctly?
What is the estimation going forward? I know the budget has not
been submitted yet. We will have our budget hearing, but give us
a sense of what kind of resources, year after year, we are going to
need to meet the need.
Dr. ROSWELL. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Using an actuary’s full-demand projection model, the 1.9 billion
shortfall you spoke about is roughly correct. But it is important to
understand, as much as I support and appreciate your advocacy for
veterans and your leadership in this committee and your tireless
efforts to generate the resources that are needed to provide care,
at this point in time it is more than simply resources. We have
reached a point with our VA health care system where the fundamental
nature of the system has shifted because of recent demand
for care and years of chronic underfunding.
Today we must rebuild the system. We have to hire new physicians,
new specialists and new nurses, and we have to go back and
reexamine our tertiary care capability. We have had tremendous
demand for care, for pharmaceutical benefits and for outpatient
care. But over half of the new enrollees in the system have sought
just prescription drug benefits.
That shifted precious, limited resources away from our tertiary
care mission. It has created primary care clinics and prescription
drug delivery systems that are not at the fundamental nature of
our core system.
If, God forbid, we have a war with Iraq, and if we have, God forbid,
new veterans returning with combat-related disabilities and
injuries, we must have in place the tertiary care system that will
meet those full and comprehensive needs. I’m sorry to say, Mr.
Chairman, that today we don’t have those specialists and we have
underfunded and neglected the tertiary medical equipment needs
that will create such a system to meet that need.
We need a standdown. We need time to recruit specialists to
bring on new capacity and to rebuild and replenish our tertiary
equipment capability.
The CHAIRMAN. I think you make our case, though, Dr. Roswell,
that funds are policy. I mean, notwithstanding the enrollment moratorium
that Secretary Principi—and he has fully had the discretion
to do so; I think he did so in very good faith, even though I
disagree. But I think he has the veteran at heart and especially,
you know, the service-connected and the indigent veteran. But it
seems to me that chronic underfunding in the past should not become
perpetual. We need to break that cycle and break it decisively.
And why not in the 108th Congress? Why not now? If not
us, who?
My question is: with this budget that we will soon get, knowing
that we have a $1.9 billion demand-model shortfall for this year,
won’t that only get exacerbated as we move forward?
Please work with us because we are only one part. I mean, half
of our budget is mandatory, thank God, and that is why when we
do a GI bill, it does get fully funded because it is mandatory. And
the benefits work that our new Chairman Brown will be working
on, so much of that is, if we do it, it happens. But, unfortunately,
the health care remains discretionary, and that has led to these
chronic shortfalls, as you describe them.
But let’s not let the past, I would respectfully request, color our
future. We need sufficient resources and we will fight and the Administration
can put the marker down.
Last night I was very proud of the President on the AIDS crisis.
I am on the International Relations Committee; I am Vice Chairman
of it. We have been working to get an AIDS bill passed that
will put more money, especially in Africa where you have an explosion,
25 to 30 million people carrying the HIV virus within their
bodies. And that will only get worse; you need to put a tourniquet
on that. And the President announced a $10 billion increase for
that, $15 billion in total.
It seems to me that we have a chronic shortfall, and it goes
through previous Administrations, no doubt about it. Congress
ponied up more money, but not enough. We can break that cycle
now and do it in a bipartisan way. The Presidential Task Force—
and you might want to speak to that, and then I will yield to my
colleague for any questions he might have—will be making its
recommendations.
I know they are looking at the mandatory scheme and other
schemes as possible solutions. I would hope that maximum input
would be made that what they produce won’t be like so many GAO
reports that get put on the shelf and nobody ever acts on it. We
need a real change now, and I think the time has come.
Dr. ROSWELL. Thank you. Certainly we have worked and continue
to work closely with the Presidential task force. We don’t
know what their final recommendations will be. But let me tell you
that the concept of a VA+Choice benefit that the Secretary recently
announced actually had its genesis, its beginning, in discussions
with the chairperson of the Presidential task force, Gail Wilensky,
the former HCFA Administrator.
So we have been maintaining very close communication with the
Presidential task force. We are working to implement concurrently
many of the areas of interest and many of what we believe will be
their recommendations. Clearly, I think their interim report
showed that to maximize VA-DOD sharing we have to improve access
to the VA health care system which is, in large measure, resource-
related. But at this point, because we have saturated our capacity,
we also need time to hire those physicians and nurses. And
in the health care field, the time to recruit and bring on additional
health care professionals can sometimes be lengthy.
The CHAIRMAN. I see my time is up, so I yield to Mr. Evans.
Mr. EVANS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a disturbing question
to ask.
If we are already in debt to a great degree and are not providing
enough funding for the next fiscal year, how are we going to have
enough if this war gets very heated and starts costing us casualties.
Particularly since a lot of the same people who are serving as
backfill are often the supply troops behind our lines?
Do you have any comment about that situation?
Dr. ROSWELL. Well, Congressman Evans, I share your concerns.
As many as 8 percent of VA personnel could be deployed with a full
deployment, and that would create a critical shortage of very vital
health care professionals at a time when we most need them. I
don’t have any solutions, but I can tell you that we are eager and
ready to begin an active recruitment program. If we receive the
2003 appropriation in the near future, we will activate that full effort
to bring on a substantial number of additional nurses, as many
as 1,300 additional nurses this fiscal year, as many as 500 additional
physicians.
go here for more
http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/schedule108/jan03/1-29-03/1-29f-03.pdf
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
House passes slew of bills for vets, troops
House passes slew of bills for vets, troops
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday May 20, 2008 17:59:01 EDT
The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan collection of seven bills and four resolutions in a pre-Memorial Day rush of legislation aimed at showing service members, veterans and their families that Congress cares.
Three more bills are scheduled for a vote Wednesday.
Included in the pile are important bills such as
HR 5826, which would provide the annual cost-of-living adjustment in veterans disability and survivor benefits, and
HR 5856, which would approve construction and renovation at veterans medical facilities.
Those bills, along with a measure about reimbursing hospitals that treat veterans requiring emergency care, will be voted on Wednesday.
In the collection of bills that passed, only one is controversial. That measure, HR 6048, would give service members deployed on contingency operations protection from changes in child custody arrangements.
The bill would specifically prohibit a service members’ absence from being considered in determining the best interests of a child and would prevent a court from ordering or modifying an existing child custody order while a member is deployed, with the exception of a temporary order when the best interests of a child is at issue.
Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana, ranking Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said he wished the House had held hearings on the child custody bill or heard the Pentagon’s views before rushing to pass it, but he did not try to block it.
Other bills passed by the House include:
While the House rushed to pass the bills before the Memorial Day recess, none of the measures will become law in the near future because the Senate has not acted on any of them.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_veteranbills_052008w/
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday May 20, 2008 17:59:01 EDT
The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan collection of seven bills and four resolutions in a pre-Memorial Day rush of legislation aimed at showing service members, veterans and their families that Congress cares.
Three more bills are scheduled for a vote Wednesday.
Included in the pile are important bills such as
HR 5826, which would provide the annual cost-of-living adjustment in veterans disability and survivor benefits, and
HR 5856, which would approve construction and renovation at veterans medical facilities.
Those bills, along with a measure about reimbursing hospitals that treat veterans requiring emergency care, will be voted on Wednesday.
In the collection of bills that passed, only one is controversial. That measure, HR 6048, would give service members deployed on contingency operations protection from changes in child custody arrangements.
The bill would specifically prohibit a service members’ absence from being considered in determining the best interests of a child and would prevent a court from ordering or modifying an existing child custody order while a member is deployed, with the exception of a temporary order when the best interests of a child is at issue.
Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana, ranking Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said he wished the House had held hearings on the child custody bill or heard the Pentagon’s views before rushing to pass it, but he did not try to block it.
Other bills passed by the House include:
HR 5554, which would expand treatment and counseling programs for veterans with substance-abuse problems.
HR 3681, which would permit the Veterans Affairs Department to launch a media campaign, including paid advertisements, to tell veterans about available benefits.
HR 2790, which would create a new VA position of director of physician assistant services.
HR 5729, which would widen the health care provided for children of Vietnam veterans who are born with spina bifida, a disease linked to a parent’s exposure before conception to the herbicide Agent Orange.
HR 3889, which would order a study of whether vocational rehabilitation programs help veterans find employment.
HR 5664, which would require an update every six years of VA benefits for veterans who need housing adapted to accommodate their service-connected disabilities.
While the House rushed to pass the bills before the Memorial Day recess, none of the measures will become law in the near future because the Senate has not acted on any of them.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_veteranbills_052008w/
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Committee chairman accuses VA of criminal negligence
Committee chairman accuses VA of criminal negligence
By KIMBERLY HEFLING
The Associated Press
Tuesday, May 6, 2008; 6:07 PM
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs' top mental health official said Tuesday he made a poor choice of words when he sent his colleagues an e-mail about suicide data that started out with "Shh!"
Dr. Ira Katz, the VA's mental health director, told the House Veterans Affairs Committee that the e-mail was in poor tone _ even though the body contained "appropriate, healthy dialogue" about the data.
"I deeply regret the subject line," Katz said. "It was an error and I apologize for that."
The e-mail claims 12,000 veterans a year attempt suicide while under department treatment. "Is this something we should (carefully) address ourselves in some sort of release before someone stumbles on it?" the e-mail asks.
The e-mail was among those recently disclosed during a trial in San Francisco that suggested some at the VA might have been attempting to hide the number of attempted suicides by those under the agency's care. Its disclosure prompted two Democratic senators to call for his resignation.
At the White House, press secretary Dana Perino said Bush has "full confidence in Secretary Peake and believes that he is handling it appropriately."
"President Bush is very concerned about the mental health of our veterans and has made sure that we are doing everything we can to make sure that American veterans are getting the care that they need," Perino said. "He's also been very troubled by the idea that veterans would feel that they wouldn't be able to express or ask for help if they are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or depression of another sort or any type of mental disorder. Because we have resources to be able to help them and they deserve the very best that we can provide."
The committee's chairman, Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., accused Katz of being more concerned about how data was interpreted than the health of veterans. He also said Katz _ as well as others involved _ should be fired. He accused the agency of criminal negligence in the handling of data about the number of veterans who have committed suicide, and of having a history of cover-ups.
"I want to know if you're really going to take your role seriously," Filner said to Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake, who started in December.
The toll free Veterans Affairs Department suicide hotline number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
click post title for more
We cannot believe a single word they say. "President Bush cares,,,," blah, blah, blah. How many times are we going to hear that coming out of the White House and still never see any sign of it being the truth? Had it not been for the law suit started by Veterans For Common Sense, no one would have found out exactly how serious this crisis for veterans has been. Think about that. It took a law suit to find out that our veterans were so despondent by the neglect of this government that over 12,000 a year tried to kill themselves instead of waiting for their wounds to be taken care of. What would you be thinking right now if the death count in Iraq was even close to what the veterans who have succeeded in committing suicide were as high? What would you be thinking if you knew the true number of wounded coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan who will have to live with PTSD and TBI for the rest of their lives? I bet as a person with a conscience you would be very, very ashamed.
By KIMBERLY HEFLING
The Associated Press
Tuesday, May 6, 2008; 6:07 PM
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs' top mental health official said Tuesday he made a poor choice of words when he sent his colleagues an e-mail about suicide data that started out with "Shh!"
Dr. Ira Katz, the VA's mental health director, told the House Veterans Affairs Committee that the e-mail was in poor tone _ even though the body contained "appropriate, healthy dialogue" about the data.
"I deeply regret the subject line," Katz said. "It was an error and I apologize for that."
The e-mail claims 12,000 veterans a year attempt suicide while under department treatment. "Is this something we should (carefully) address ourselves in some sort of release before someone stumbles on it?" the e-mail asks.
The e-mail was among those recently disclosed during a trial in San Francisco that suggested some at the VA might have been attempting to hide the number of attempted suicides by those under the agency's care. Its disclosure prompted two Democratic senators to call for his resignation.
At the White House, press secretary Dana Perino said Bush has "full confidence in Secretary Peake and believes that he is handling it appropriately."
"President Bush is very concerned about the mental health of our veterans and has made sure that we are doing everything we can to make sure that American veterans are getting the care that they need," Perino said. "He's also been very troubled by the idea that veterans would feel that they wouldn't be able to express or ask for help if they are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or depression of another sort or any type of mental disorder. Because we have resources to be able to help them and they deserve the very best that we can provide."
The committee's chairman, Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., accused Katz of being more concerned about how data was interpreted than the health of veterans. He also said Katz _ as well as others involved _ should be fired. He accused the agency of criminal negligence in the handling of data about the number of veterans who have committed suicide, and of having a history of cover-ups.
"I want to know if you're really going to take your role seriously," Filner said to Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake, who started in December.
The toll free Veterans Affairs Department suicide hotline number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
click post title for more
We cannot believe a single word they say. "President Bush cares,,,," blah, blah, blah. How many times are we going to hear that coming out of the White House and still never see any sign of it being the truth? Had it not been for the law suit started by Veterans For Common Sense, no one would have found out exactly how serious this crisis for veterans has been. Think about that. It took a law suit to find out that our veterans were so despondent by the neglect of this government that over 12,000 a year tried to kill themselves instead of waiting for their wounds to be taken care of. What would you be thinking right now if the death count in Iraq was even close to what the veterans who have succeeded in committing suicide were as high? What would you be thinking if you knew the true number of wounded coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan who will have to live with PTSD and TBI for the rest of their lives? I bet as a person with a conscience you would be very, very ashamed.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
House Speaker will listen to veterans
Veterans will get face time with Pelosi
Last update: April 1, 2008 - 10:39 PM
WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will meet with Minnesota veterans in the Twin Cities this month to discuss veterans' legislation, her office announced Tuesday.
Pelosi, D-Calif., accepted an invitation from freshman Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard and a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
go here for the rest
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/17208296.html
Last update: April 1, 2008 - 10:39 PM
WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will meet with Minnesota veterans in the Twin Cities this month to discuss veterans' legislation, her office announced Tuesday.
Pelosi, D-Calif., accepted an invitation from freshman Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard and a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
go here for the rest
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/17208296.html
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