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July 14, 2010 - A recent internal memo written by William Schoenhard, Deputy Undersecretary for Health at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) brought to light disturbing practices being performed by VA employees. Because of "inappropriate scheduling practices," military veterans have been, and are being, denied health care.
VA employees use "inappropriate scheduling practices" in order to make themselves appear more efficient in reports to their superiors. The practices included doing things like canceling veterans' appointments with their doctors. The practices have been dubbed "gaming strategies."
On of the strategies used is canceling appointments for veterans who are not checked in 10-15 minutes before their scheduled appointments. When they are questioned, employees inform veterans the fine print on their appointment ticket which state failure to appear 10-15 minutes prior could result in cancellation. Doing this allows the VA to keep their Missed Opportunity rates low.
Schoenhard's memo highlights over 20 "games" being used to keep VA health centers looking good on paper. While Schoenhard denies personal knowledge of any particular VA center using the improper scheduling practices, he does know of their existence. The purpose of his memo was to avoid any future problems and make medical centers aware there will be no tolerance for any action causing inconvenience to veterans in need of health care.
Schoenhard's memo was intended to remind employees at VA medical centers their focus should be on the veterans first. Some believe these practices to be rampant across the nation and if that is true, it is completely unacceptable. Veteran centered care does not lend itself to this type of treatment.
Soldiers can return home with a number of conditions, injuries, and aggravated preexisting conditions. If you believe you have a service-connected physical or psychological injury you may be entitled to Veterans’ Disability Compensation.
At LaVan and Neidenberg, we are determined to secure veterans their rightful disability compensation and disability rating. We wrote this book for you! In it you will find valuable tips on how to navigate the claims process and avoid common pitfalls. Request your FREE copy today!
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