VA’s malpractice tab
Tequila Volare and Ohio send us links to the revelation that the Veterans’ Affairs Department has paid out over $800 million in malpractice settlements over the last 10 years. From WHIO;
The payouts reached a high point in 2012, a Cox Media Group nationwide investigation found, leaving government watchdogs and members of Congress wondering if the VA is learning from its mistakes.
“The VA likes to say they’re accountable. I don’ t believe the word even exists in the VA dictionary,” said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.
From WSBTV;
Despite Channel 2’s repeated requests to interview any of the agency’s top leaders about all this, the VA only responded with a short statement that it takes these issues serious, and is “Committed to continuous improvement; providing training, counseling, and other resources to ensure we continue to provide the high-quality, safe, and effective care our veterans have earned and deserve.”
“It’s not just harming the taxpayers, they’re harming public health,” said Daniel Epstein, from the D.C. based watchdog group “Cause of Action.” He called for an Inspector General’s audit when Channel 2 showed him VA malpractice costs soared to a 10-year high in 2012 to nearly $100 million.
The highest payout in 2012 went to Marine Vet Christopher Ellison. He was awarded a $17 million judgment. He had a stroke following a dental procedure. He is now paralyzed.
If anyone wants the VA to admit to their own culpability for substandard care, they haven’t been paying attention. VA leadership won’t accept responsibility for those lavish training sessions or for the backlog of disability claims, why would they start accepting blame for this. All of this points at a leadership failure, and we know where that buck stops – the Beret Master.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
The first step in rectifying this situation is to have unlicensed, unqualified personnel stop practicing outside the scope of their licensing capabilities.
Kind of like seeing a gynecologist for a broken toe.
@1 I’d rather see a gynecologist for broken toe, than go to a podiatrist for ovarian cysts!
Well…. maybe I’ve been luckier than most… but the PDX/Vancouver VA has kept me alive.
I’m not thrilled about paying for any of it with copays… I spent 11 hours in the PDX VA Hospital a couple of years ago, found out I was admitted and got popped for an $1100 bill… having no idea that was going to happen…
And when I enlisted during that little tiff in SE Asia (72) the man looked at me and said “we’ll cover you head to foot for free for the rest of your life.”
Didn’t really work out that way, and I’m spending in excess of $1500 a year for my “free” medical care.
That said, I just (Early October) underwent an operation on my right hand, where they effectively rebuilt one finger and did a “trigger” operation on my ring finger.
The guy who did the surgery was the department chair for plastic surgery. He and his staff did an excellent job from the moment I showed up until the moment I left, some 9 hours later.
Yes, this is anecdotal. No, it hasn’t been perfect.
For example, it gripes my ass that medications frequently cost more in the VA than out on the street: ($27 per 3 months supply vs $10 for three months supply at many retailers) and it’s difficult for me to grasp why it takes 10 days to get a refill at the VA but it takes 10 minutes at Costco.
But I would say that my treatment at the VA has been no worse than my treatment at Kaiser.
Standard Disclaimer: I am referring ONLY to the actual medical treatment I’ve received. The unconscionable delay in claims?
That’s another matter entirely.
“He had a stroke following a dental procedure. He is now paralyzed.”
WHAAAAAT!!?? How in the heck does that happen?
I don’t get that either #4, but clearly, someone who awarded 17 large did. (Blood clot give way maybe?)
#4 My wife’s uncle had something go wrong with his heart after a dental procedure too. It was something to do with how long he had gone between cleanings and the bacteria/plaque affected his heart.
@5
Yeah, I got the blood clot issue, just trying to imagine how screwed up things would have to be to get from his mouth to the motor control area of his brain.
I looked into 20-year Marine Veteran Ellison’s situation. He was to have multiple extractions and, during the pre-op check, his blood pressure was found to be low. So, they went ahead and put him under. He had a stroke. Aniother fellow I read about was suffereing dehydration. A catheter was inserted–all the way to his heart. He died right there. Because of the cap on med malpractice, his survisvors received next to nothing. So, it’s wotrth keeping in mind that because of the pain and suffering cap in place in dozens of states, the total VA payout would be much more. What I would like to see is a comparison bewteen the VA’s malpractice numbers per, say, 1000 patients, with non VA. I believe that the money awards actually make the VA look better than it is. Why? Because it’s the freakin’ government, that’s why.
@6 I have PMV (Prolapsed Mitral Valve). Every cleaning and any work done by a dentist, I have to take a boatload of antibiotics to attempt to prevent bacteria from compromising my mitral valve. Don’t want a dental procedure to turn into open heart surgery!
I don’t have time to research this right now. But, I am curious if there is any other health care organization operating the number of facilities as the VA and if so what is their payout for malpractice?
My biological younger brother (we were adopted by different families) had a heart attack, and underwent open heart surgery at the VA Medical Center in Oklahoma City.
The anesthesiologist made a mistake, causing a stroke, which left my brother legally blind.
Before that happened, he was a licensed pilot, and had a thriving business as an aerial photographer.
After several years, the VA finally awarded him a 100% service connected disability.