The Veterans Administration runs America's largest healthcare system, with hospitals and clinics serving eight million people. Under the rules, veterans are supposed to get an appointment 14 to 30 days after calling for one. For years there have been reports that it takes much longer. Now there are claims that records have been falsified to hide that the VA has been paying bonuses to officials who've hidden evidence of how long it takes to get healthcare. In Phoenix, a whistleblowing doctor says 40 veterans died while waiting up to a year for appointments. Tomorrow, a Senate committee will be looking into claims of a widespread conspiracy, despite continued reports and the VA's official denials. Are secret waiting lists part of a cover-up? Would top brass resignations help fix Americans largest healthcare system?
Whistleblowers and Cover-ups at the VA
More
- American Legion's 2013 report on the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
- Carter on the VA paying out bonuses to those who treated veterans the worst
- Glantz on the VA's soaring use of opiates
- Glantz on VA hospital whistleblower telling of shoddy care of veterans
- Glantz on VA paying out on veterans' wrongful deaths
- Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT)
- Siegel on the VA's secret deadly waiting list
- Siegel's 'Fire and Forget: Short Stories from the Long War'
Credits
Guests:
- Sam Foote - former Veterans Affairs physician
- Aaron Glantz - a Peabody Award-winning journalist with California-based REVEAL and the Center for Investigative Reporting - @Aaron_Glantz
- Phillip Carter - Center for a New American Security - @Carter_PE
- Jacob Gadd - American Legion - @AmericanLegion
- Jacob Siegel - Daily Beast - @Jacob__Siegel