Despite 40 Deaths, VA Chief 'Still On Payrol'

WND RADIO

DESPITE 40 DEATHS, VA CHIEF 'STILL ON PAYROLL'

'The rot at that institution is just so widespread. It is just so ingrained'

Greg Corombos

A leading veterans group is hailing two key provisions of the proposed Veterans Affairs reform bill as critical to improving care for our nation’s heroes but warns that spending needs to be controlled and oversight must be even more intense to make sure positive changes are really happening.

A spokesman for the group also tells WND the director of the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System – which made headlines when 40 veterans died while reportedly waiting for appointments – is still on the federal payroll with an annual salary of $170,000.

Over the weekend, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., announced they agreed on a framework for reforms to accelerate care for veterans and address the bureaucratic mess that led to veterans waiting months or even years to see a doctor.

The plan would cost a minimum of $17 billion. The majority of that money would be set aside for veterans to seek medical care outside of the VA system if they cannot get an appointment within the promised window of 14 days. In addition, the bill contains the major GOP priority of granting the secretary of Veterans’ Affairs the power to fire bureaucrats who are simply not doing their jobs.

“The two principles, particularly the expanded firing authority and the expanded access to private care are the two most important reforms in this bill. We feel they will lay the groundwork for future VA reform in fundamentally transforming how the VA delivers care and benefits to our veterans,” said Dan Caldwell, issues and legislative campaign manager at Concerned Veterans for America.

Listen to the WND/Radio America interview with Dan Caldwell:

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2014/08/despite-40-deaths-va-chief-still-on-payroll/#dS3PDRGQpaxuviQR.99

My comments: Will the VA be reformed? We shall see.