And In the “YGBSM!” Department . . .

. . . it looks like the “best and brightest” working for the VA were at it again.

It seems that some VA medical facilities recently distributed a flyer indicating prohibited items.  Bring them to an exam, and you would not be seen.

The fliers were apparently mailed to some vets with appointment letters. The VA also posted similar signs at some medical facilities depicting those prohibited items.

Here are some pictures of the flier and signs:

No, you’re eyes aren’t playing tricks on you.  For a while, in part of the US the VA actually was telling people that if they brought a smartphone or backpack to an appointment, they would not be seen.  (The flier and signs actually depicted an iPhone, but presumably any smartphone – and probably, any cell phone – would have been similarly banned.)

The VA has since backpedaled, and has announced the policy was “ill advised” .  The VA has also apparently cancelled the policy – though they did not explain why the policy was ever instituted in the first place.

Now, why might the VA do something like this?  Well, it seems that at least one vet has used a recording device at a VA appointment – likely a cell or smart phone – to obtain a personal record of what was actually said at that appointment.  They did so in Minnesota, which is a “one party” consent state regarding the recording of conversations (Federal law and 38 states require one-party-consent regarding the recording of conversations).

One plausible explanation is that the VA doesn’t want anyone else to have a separate record of what’s actually said in their appointments, so they tried to prevent that by banning cell phones. If so, that was indeed “ill advised”.

Now, I’m sure there are other plausible explanations.  I just wish I could think of what one of those other plausible explanations might be.

The really sad part about all this?  This whole idea was obviously utter and complete idiocy.  Any one with enough common sense to p!ss in the toilet vice the bathroom’s wastebasket would have seen that immediately.

But coming from VA administrators? This doesn’t surprise me one bit.

I’m seriously beginning to wonder if the VA is salvageable.

 

AUTHOR’S NOTES (IMPORTANT):

1.  If you’re thinking about taking a smartphone/MP3 player/other recording device to your next VA appointment and recording it, please CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FIRST.  A number of states (11) appear to require the consent of ALL parties to a conversation before it may be legally recorded.  If you live in one of those states, you cannot legally record your appointment unless you get the permission of all present to record.

2.  While I believe the last link to the PDF document listing state recording laws (last link above) to be accurate, the document appears to be from 2013 – and laws change from time to time.  I strongly recommend that you double check it against Lexis or another up-to-date source of state and local laws if you’re thinking about recording an appointment based on assumed one-party consent law in your state.  It’s possible your state’s law has changed since that document was prepared in 2013. 

Category: "Teh Stoopid", "The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves", "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Veteran Health Care, Veterans' Affairs Department