A government audit of the VA health care system places it at high risk for the first time ever, alluding to hundreds of problems in the ailing system that have not been addressed,
according to a report by USA Today.
The government’s watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, is scheduled to release its full report on Wednesday, which comes out every two years to assess government agencies and programs. USA Today obtained the section on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs beforehand.
USA Today said the report cited problems with “poor health care, delayed doctor appointments and leadership accountability and oversight” that have continued since initial reports broke that the health care system was mismanaged and that veterans had died on waiting lists without receiving care.
"In many ways, (the VA health care system) is on the cutting edge of the industry. In other areas, we realize we need to make significant improvements," VA spokesman James Hutton told the newspaper. He said the organization is working to become a “model agency.”
Government agencies end up on the “high-risk” list because of issues aligned with health, safety, injuries, risk of life, and others.
"These risks to the timeliness, cost-effectiveness, quality and safety of veterans' health care, along with persistent weaknesses we have identified in recent years, raises serious concerns about VA's management and oversight of its health care system," USA Today quoted the report. "VA health care is a high-risk area."
A bill signed in August by President Barack Obama allows veterans to seek private health care if they can’t get into a VA facility and authorized $17 billion in funds to get the VA health care system up to par.
The VA health care system serves about 9 million U.S. veterans per year.
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