It’s been over a year since the Veterans Affairs administration was rocked by a scandal that led to the ouster of then-Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
Tens of thousands of veterans could not get in to see a doctor at a Veterans Health Administration facilities in Phoenix, Arizona, because of long waits. The Phoenix administrators lied about the caseload to make the numbers look legitimate, adding to the problem.
According to an internal investigation by the VA, at least 35 veterans died because they did not receive timely care at the Phoenix VHA facilities.
In response to the scandal, Congress gave the the agency $15 billion to fix the problem.
But as Military Times senior writer Patricia Kime tells Here & Now’s Lisa Mullins, the VA is still plagued by problems, including a shortage of healthcare providers and in come cases longer waits than before the scandal broke.
- Military Times: VA mismanagement, malpractice detailed in reports
Guest
- Patricia Kime, senior writer for Military Times. She tweets @patriciakime.
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