HHS’ Office of the Inspector General began investigating allegations of secret patient wait lists at the Phoenix VA last December. It was alleged hospital leaders created the secret wait lists to hide the actual amount of time patients waited for appointments and that 40 patients died while waiting for care. Furthermore, Phoenix VA executives were accused of collecting bonuses for reducing patient wait times based on manipulated patient wait time data.
Allegations of long wait times and secret wait lists were made against many other VA facilities across the country. A nation-wide VA audit revealed more than 57,000 veterans across the country had been waiting more than 90 days to receive healthcare services.
In response to the allegations and the audit findings, legislation that allows veterans to use private medical providers if they live more than 40 miles away from a VA facility or if they experience long wait times was recently passed by the both the Senate and the House.
To help address the backlog of veterans needing medical care, Banner Health — one of the Phoenix area’s largest healthcare systems — will immediately begin providing healthcare services to veterans, according to the report.
Dignity Health and Maricopa Integrated Health System in Phoenix may also begin providing healthcare services to veterans.
More Articles on the VA:
House Passes Legislation Addressing VA Wait Time Issues
No Bonuses For Poor Performing VA Physicians Under New Legislation
VA OIG Investigates Allegations of Secret Waiting List, Falsified Records in Phoenix: 3 Key Findings
