Tag Archives: Veteran

Veterans dying because of health care delays

Posted on by


(CNN) — U.S. veterans are dying because of delays in diagnosis and treatment at VA hospitals.

At least 19 veterans have died because of delays in simple medical screenings like colonoscopies or endoscopies, at various VA hospitals or clinics, CNN has learned.

That’s according to an internal document from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, obtained exclusively by CNN, that deals with patients diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and 2011.

The veterans were part of 82 vets who have died or are dying or have suffered serious injuries as a result of delayed diagnosis or treatment for colonoscopies or endoscopies.

Read more and see more video at CNN

Hundreds Attend Lonely Veteran’s Funeral After Sad Obit Goes Viral

Posted on by

ku-bigpicWorld War II vet Harold Jellicoe “Coe” Percival passed away peacefully in his sleep last month at the age of 99. According to his obituary, Harold had “no close family who can attend his funeral.”

Enter: The Internet.

After a scan of the former RAF Bomber Command ground crew member obituary appeared online last week, many took special note of the sentence asking for “any service personnel who can” to kindly attend his funeral, which was scheduled for this morning at 11 AM Blackpool time.

A call to action soon coalesced as the obit made its way around Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit.

“If you’re in the area give him the send off he deserves,” asked Sgt. Rick Clement, an Afghanistan War vet who was wounded in the line of duty. “This guy needs and deserves your help.”

More at Gawker

VA wait times mean some die before getting care

Posted on by

“The bottom line is it is unclear how long veterans are waiting to receive care in VA’s medical facilities because the reported data are unreliable,” Draper told the panel.

By Patricia Kime – Staff writer

Internal Veterans Affairs Department documents show that at least two veterans died last year waiting to see a doctor while others couldn’t get primary care appointments for up to eight months, members of a House oversight and investigations panel said Thursday.

Addressing the ongoing problem of vets who suffer through long waits for appointments at VA hospitals and clinics, House lawmakers joined federal investigators and veterans service organizations in castigating VA on an issue that has endured for more than a decade.

“Evidence shows that many VA facilities, when faced with a backlog of thousands of outstanding or unresolved consultations, decided to administratively close out these requests. Some reasons given included that the request was years old, too much time had elapsed, or the veteran had died,” said Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., chairman of the House Veterans Oversight and Investigations panel.

“This is unacceptable,” said Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., the panel’s ranking Democrat. “Veterans deserve timely, accessible health care.”

According to VA, about 49 percent of new patients and 90 percent of established patients are able to see a primary care doctor or specialist within VA’s goal of 14 days, a metric established in 2011.

But the first-time patients who weren’t seen within 14 days waited an average 50 days to schedule initial appointments.

Read more at Army Times