Rao bulletin 1 October 2016 html edition this bulletin contains the following articles pg Article Subject
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- VA Privatization Update 07
- VA Caregiver Program Update 34 ► New Expanded Partnerships
- National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH)
- VA Benefits in Jail Update 05 ► $100M in Improper Payouts
- VA Suicide Prevention Update 34 ► 33% of Hotline Calls Diverted
- VA Hospital Staff Shortages ► One in Six Positions Vacant
- VA Xmas Card Policy Update 03 ► New Clarifications
- VA Guide Service Dog Program ► Parameters Access
- VA Health Care Access Update 44 ► ► Get Rid of Vet Moochers
- My VA Story ► New VA Website
- VA GAO Findings Update 03 ► Outdated And Fragmented Policies
- VA Health Care Access Update 43 ► Wait Time Comparison Reporting
- VA Rural Access Update 25 ► Expanded Transportation Program
- VA Health Care Utilization Update 01 ► Lead by Example Act
- VA Whistleblowers Update 46 ► Settlement Policy Abuse Questioned
- VA Employee Accountability Update 02 ► Lucy Filipov Settlement
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Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., speaks at a press conference with veterans organizations on Sept. 14, 2016, about the need for veterans benefits appeals reform. The House passed a controversial bill including that provision later in the day. Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), whose legislation outlining those changes was included in Miller’s accountability measure, said she is upset that lawmakers haven’t already acted on the issue. “I’m mad, because this bill could go to the president right now,” she said. “Why get it tangled up in the politics of the accountability bill?” H.R. 5620 now heads to the Senate; Sen. Marco Rubio, (R-FL), is sponsoring companion legislation. The major employee accountability provisions in H.R. 5620 would: Impose a shorter disciplinary process for rank-and-file employees who are fired or demoted. The entire process – from notification to the MSPB’s decision on an appeal – would be limited to 77 days. Give the VA secretary authority to strip pension benefits from VA senior executives who are convicted of a crime that influenced their job performance, and then fired. Would prevent senior executives about to be fired because they were convicted of such a felony, but who instead retire, from receiving their full retirement benefits. The secretary would be allowed to take away the government contribution portion of the pension for the time period in which the employee was engaged in behavior warranting removal. Allow the VA secretary to recoup bonuses from VA employees when appropriate, with notification and an opportunity for appeal. Allow the VA secretary to recoup relocation expenses from VA employees who’ve engaged in misconduct, with notification and opportunity for appeal. [Source: Military Times & NAUS Weekly Update | Leo Shane | September 14 & 16 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Privatization Update 07 ► House Resolution Offered A key Democrat wants to bring the presidential campaign fight over veterans health care to the House floor, offering a resolution 28 SEP that opposes the privatization of Veterans Affairs programs. The measure, sponsored by House Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Mark Takano (D-CA) carries with it no force of law and has little chance of advancing in the Republican-controlled chamber. Takano -- along with Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) -- argue the proposal is needed to “echo the voices of millions of veterans who oppose the privatization of the Veterans Health Administration.” It states that lawmakers should stand against any policy that would jeopardize health care offerings for veterans “by moving essential resources to the private sector.” On the campaign trail, Democrats insist that’s exactly what Republicans have been trying to do for the last few years. Conservatives -- led by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump -- have argued for a significant expansion of the use of private-sector doctors for veterans' medical appointments and treatments, guiding more federal dollars outside VA. Republicans counter that department health systems are overburdened and unable to meet veterans’ needs, and proposals to expand health care choices for veterans in no way represent privatizing the department. The fight has become the primary friction point between Trump’s veterans policies and that of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who has repeatedly accused the GOP of working to undermine and privatize VA. Takano pushed back on criticism that his resolution is little more than political posturing. "Perhaps there was a time when warning of VHA privatization was hyperbole, but Republicans on the campaign trail and in Congress are proposing an unprecedented expansion in the role of for-profit providers in veterans care,” he said. “Conservatives are also treating private care as a panacea, ignoring the long wait time, expensive bills, and regular inconvenience that many American consumers endure. Now is the time for Congress to send a clear message to America’s veterans: It was our decision to send you to war, and it’s our responsibility to care for you when you get home." In an appearance before the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in July, Trump promised an overhaul of VA operations and more choices for veterans seeking medical appointments, but also pledged that “the veterans health system will remain a public system, because it is a public trust.” The American Legion and Disabled American Veterans have endorsed the legislation. In addition to the partisan fighting over the issue -- a number of Democrats have also supported expanding outside care options for veterans -- Takano’s resolution faces a short legislative timeline for consideration. Congress is scheduled to leave town 30 SEP for an extended pre-election recess, and will return for an already-busy lame-duck session on 14 NOV. [Source: Military Times | Leo Shane | September 28, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Caregiver Program Update 34 ► New & Expanded Partnerships The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced several new and expanded partnerships to support the VA Caregiver Support Program. The VA Caregiver Support Program supports the-often unsung heroes of wounded or ill Veterans – the ones who take care of them. Announcement of the partnerships, made during a summit co-hosted by VA and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. The daylong event, Empowering Hidden Heroes: Pathways to InnoVAtion, attracted 400 leaders from government, the non-profit sector, private industry, academic and stakeholders from the Veteran and caregiver community. “VA knows that without family caregivers, many Veterans would not be able to remain in their communities,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald, a speaker during the event. “Caregivers are a force multiplier. They support Veterans in ways that VA cannot—they are essential to the health and well-being of Veterans. We can never thank them enough for what they do, and we will continue to find innovative avenues of support and foster strategic partnerships that provide them with the resources they need to keep doing what they do so well.” The following partnerships were announced: Amazon: Together with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Amazon has curated a bookshelf of titles recommended by experts and caregivers. Titles reflect the most current and useful information to support military and Veteran caregivers and their families. Amazon also provided free Kindles to military and Veteran caregivers in attendance. To review titles go to https://read.amazon.com/kp/showcase/hidden-heroes?ref_=k4w_sc_hh_lp. Caregivers and consumers can download Kindle software to enjoy these books on any mobile device. Refer to https://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/fiona/kcp-landing-page?ref_=k4w_sc_hh_klp. Coursera: In 2014, Coursera, an online education platform, teamed up with VA to provide one free education certification to every Veteran and transitioning service member. In 2015, that offer was extended to spouses, and this year, they are expanding the eligibility further to caregivers. PsychArmor Institute: A longstanding collaborator with VA, PsychArmor Institute works with nationally recognized subject matter experts to create and deliver online courses tailored to issues related to military and Veteran communities. In conjunction with today’s event, PsychArmor released a suite of new free training resources for caregivers of Veterans. (www.PsychArmor.org ) VetTix: VA has partnered with Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix), a nonprofit organization that provides free tickets to events for current serving military, Veterans and Gold Star families. Vet Tix has provided more than 2.3 million tickets for current serving military, Veterans and Gold Star families to attend nearly 40,000 events valued at over $87 million since 2008. They currently serve approximately 450,000 Vet Tixers and their families. Through these events, VA and VetTix are exploring ways to encourage service members, families, and friends stay engaged with local communities and reduce stress by attending fun events that everyone can enjoy for a very low delivery fee. National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH): VA’s Domestic Violence/Intimate Partner Violence Assistance program has formed a partnership with The Hotline to provide cross-training resources to Veterans. The Hotline provides 24/7/365 support and referrals for people impacted by domestic violence/intimate partner violence. Through this partnership NDVH will also provide the VA with Veteran-specific usage data from the hotline that will be used to inform VA programs and policies. VA’s Caregiver Support Program began in 2007 and expanded in 2010 to offer a variety of local and national programs including, Building Better Caregivers™; Peer Support Mentoring; Caregiver Self-Care Courses; a national Caregiver Support Line; targeted programs for dementia, stroke and spinal cord injury; Respite; and Home and Community Based Care programs. For more information about VA Caregiver support programs, visit: http://www.caregiver.va.gov. [Source: VA News Release | September 28, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Benefits in Jail Update 05 ► $100M in Improper Payouts Imprisoned veterans received more than $100 million in improper benefits payments in recent years because Veterans Affairs officials were too focused on bringing down the first-time claims backlog, according to a new report from the department’s inspector general. And that number could rise to more than $200 million in the next four years if changes aren’t made in how VA monitors and handles the problem. Officials from the Veterans Benefits Administration said the problem lies with incomplete information from the Bureau of Prisons. Beth Murphy, director of VBA’s compensation service, said her department is working on fixes. “We do not get the date of incarceration from (the Bureau of Prisons),” she told members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Tuesday. “We have to follow up on this. There are manual processes and time lags in getting this information.” By law, veterans jailed for more than 60 days are eligible only for compensation benefits equal to a 10 percent disability rating (for those already at 10 percent, it drops to 5 percent). Once veterans are released, they are eligible for their full benefits again. But investigators estimate almost $60 million in overpayments to veterans in federal prisons from fiscal 2008 to fiscal 2015, and another $44 million to veterans in state and local jails in 2013 and 2014. “We found that VBA did not process federal incarceration adjustments primarily because they did not place priority on incarceration adjustments, as they do not consider these non-rating claims part of the disability claims backlog,” said Mike Missal, the VA inspector general. Reducing that backlog has been a major focus of the department in recent years, with the number of cases taking four months to process ballooning to around 611,000 in 2013. Today, that number is around 75,000 cases. Murphy said part of that effort has been automating more VA systems and outside data, and officials hope to use those advances to correct the prison payouts problem moving forward. “The veterans who received these overpayments have committed crimes, but the overpayments are not their fault,” said Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-LA) ,chairman of the panel’s subcommittee on disability assistance. “Nothing excuses VA for failing to do its job.” Veterans sent to prison are required by law to inform VA of their legal status, but both lawmakers and VA officials acknowledged that is a less-than-reliable system. VA Inspector General reports have estimated total improper payments for all veterans benefits programs totaled more than $1.3 billion in fiscal 2015, with the prison issue a small segment of that. Murphy said incarcerated veterans make up less than 1 percent of the overall population of individuals receiving VA benefits. Still, she conceded that the mistakes amount to a significant amount of lost taxpayer funds, and promised her agency will find solutions. Officials are working to recover some of those improper payments. “We are focused on this now,” she said. “Going forward, I will be watching this.” Note: Vietnam Veterans of America: Chapter 967 adds that many Incarcerated veterans do not realize that they can apply for disability while they are still in prison. Most VARO's will send someone to a jail to do a Compensation exam of the veteran who is incarcerated, and some service reps will handle the paperwork and advice on the case.. [Source: Military Times | Leo Shane | September 27, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Suicide Prevention Update 34 ► 33% of Hotline Calls Diverted More than one-third of calls to a suicide hotline for troubled veterans are not being answered by front-line staffers because of poor work habits and other problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the hotline's former director. Some hotline workers handle fewer than five calls per day and leave before their shifts end, even as crisis calls have increased sharply in recent years, said Greg Hughes, the former director of the VA's Veterans Crisis Line. Hughes said in an internal email that some crisis line staffers "spend very little time on the phone or engaged in assigned productive activity." Coverage at the crisis line suffers "because we have staff who routinely request to leave early," he said. An average of 35 to 40 percent of crisis calls received in May rolled over to back-up centers where workers have less training to deal with veterans' problems, said Hughes, who left his post in June, weeks after sending the emails. The House 26 SEP unanimously approved a bill requiring the VA to ensure that all telephone calls, text messages and other communications received by the crisis line are answered in a timely manner by an appropriately qualified person. Rep. David Young (R-IA), the bill's sponsor, said a veteran in his district told him he repeatedly received a busy signal when he called the crisis line this spring. The man later got help from a friend, but "this hotline let him down," Young said. "A veteran in need cannot wait for help, and any incident where a veteran has trouble with the Veterans Crisis Line is simply unacceptable." The VA said Monday it is increasing staff at the New York-based hotline and opening a new hub in Atlanta. The agency also pledged to continue efforts to improve training, as it responds to a report by an internal watchdog that said crisis calls are routinely allowed to go into voicemail and callers do not always receive immediate assistance. David Shulkin, the VA's undersecretary for health, called veterans' suicide a public health crisis and said suicide prevention is a top priority at VA. An estimated 20 veterans commit suicide every day; the vast majority were not connected to VA care in the last year of their lives, Shulkin said. The crisis line dispatched emergency responders an average of 30 times a day last year and made 80,000 referrals to suicide prevention coordinators, he said. "We are saving thousands of lives. But we will not rest as long as there are veterans who remain at risk," Shulkin said in a statement. Approval of the House bill follows a February report by the VA's office of inspector general indicating that about 1 in 6 calls are redirected to backup centers when the crisis line is overloaded. Calls went to voicemail at some backup centers, including at least one center where staffers apparently were unaware there was a voicemail system, the report said. The bill now goes to the Senate. The crisis hotline received more than 500,000 calls last year, 50 times the number it received in 2007. [Source: Military Times | September 26, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Hospital Staff Shortages ► One in Six Positions Vacant Sens. Dean Heller (R-NV) and Jon Tester (D-MT) are calling on the Government Accountability Office to study how to address doctor and other medical staff shortages at the nation’s VA hospitals. As members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, they asked for a review of medical recruitment and retention policies to figure out how to get more intake workers, doctors, nurses and assistants to provide veterans with timely and quality health care. In a letter to the GAO’s Ciomptroller General Gene Dodaro, they conceded a shortage of medical professionals is a nationwide problem. “However, this issue is particularly impacting veterans,” they wrote pointing out the VA’s own statistics indicate nearly one in six positions is vacant. “These types of shortages have a direct impact on quality and timeliness of the health care our nation’s veterans have earned and deserve,” their letter states. [Source: Nevada Appeal | September 22, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Xmas Card Policy Update 03 ► New Clarifications New clarifications about Department of Veterans Affairs rules have resolved a dispute about religious Christmas carols, gifts and displays in veterans’ hospitals, a chaplains’ group has said. “No one should try to water down Christmas for our veterans just because they object to any religious references or items. I am most grateful that the VA has clarified their policy prior to the upcoming holidays,” Chaplain Ron Crews, a retired Army Reserve colonel, said Sept. 21. The chaplain is executive director of Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, a group of Protestant Christian organizations and ministries that provide over 2,600 chaplains for the U.S. military. “This should make clear that churches may sing Christmas carols and distribute Christmas cards at VA hospitals,” Chaplain Crews continued. “The guidelines state that hospital administrators may allow this and provide reasonable guidance as to where displays may be set up and where and how long a church choir may sing.” He said the new policy “should put a stop to those organizations that complain without basis about any mention of faith in VA facilities.” The Veterans Affairs department had attracted controversy for some hospital policies applied at Christmastime. In December 2013, A Veterans’ Affairs hospital in Georgia barred high school Christmas carolers from singing religious songs. The hospital required them to sing from a list of 12 Christmas songs its pastoral service deemed appropriate. The ban was enacted on the grounds that each veteran had the right to be protected from unwelcomed religious material. The new guidance says that once a director allows holiday singing in a designated location, the department “must remain neutral regarding the views expressed by the group or individual generally or in its holiday songs.” The guidance says that Veterans Health Administration facilities may receive cards and gifts with religious messages for distributions to patients and residence in accordance with their individual preferences. It also allows veterans’ groups to set up displays with religious items on VA property. [Source: Catholic News Agency | September 23, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Guide & Service Dog Program ► Parameters & Access Are you aware that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a Guide and Service Dog program? What’s the difference between the two? A guide dog is trained to lead the blind or vision impaired, while the service dog is trained to do specific tasks for someone that can’t do them because of a disability. Guide dogs act as pilots for their owners; blind veterans get assessed and trained for orientation and mobility. If a veteran prefers a guide dog, the VA will provide information on contacting guide dog schools. A veteran’s partnership with the guide dog is provided by non-VA affiliated guide dog schools. The VA will provide veterinary care (including prescribed medications, office visits for medical procedures, and dental procedures where the dog has been sedated, and follow up on vaccinations) and equipment (such as a harness, backpack or both) through the VA Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Department. The VA will not pay for boarding, grooming, food or other routine expenses of owning a dog. A service dog receives training to do specific tasks the veteran cannot do as a result of a disability. Service dogs can pick things up, guide someone with vision problems or help someone who falls or loses balance easily. Service dogs go through rigorous training, learning to: Do things different from natural dog behavior Do things the owner cannot do because of a disability Work with the new owner in ways to help manage the owner’s disability As a result of this relationship, service dogs are allowed to enter most public places the owner goes, even if it’s somewhere dogs can’t usually go, like restaurants and airplanes. There are some exceptions, and service dogs can be asked to leave if they misbehave. In order for a veteran to receive a service dog, they are evaluated; the prescribing clinician must determine: Ability and means, including family or caregiver, to care for the dog currently and into the future Goals and tasks that the dog would help the veteran accomplish Goals and tasks that other assistive technology or therapy would help the veteran accomplish The veteran will be notified of approval or disapproval. If approved, they will be referred to Assistance Dogs International-accredited agencies. There is no charge for the dog or its associated training. Recently, the VA announced a pilot program to implement veterinary health benefits for veterans’ mobility service dogs with chronic impairments that substantially limits mobility associated with mental health disorders. Service dogs are distinguished from pets and comfort animals because they have been specially trained to perform tasks for a specific individual with a disability who cannot perform the task independently. If you would like further information regarding this benefit, you need to start the process with your primary care doctor to get the referral to the VAMC Fresno Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services Department. If you need assistance in enrolling into the VA Healthcare system, we can help you complete the enrollment form to take to them. [Source: The Californian | Ken Cruickshank | September 24, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Health Care Access Update 44 ► ► Get Rid of Vet Moochers U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson told a room full of veterans that one way to clean up the Department of Veterans Affairs’ health care system is to get the “moochers” out of it. The Troy Republican and Army veteran spoke with the Concerned Veterans for America at a town hall event 19 SEP in West Chester Twp. “Just like workers comp out here’s got moochers, I wish that there were no vets that were the same sort of problem on our society,” said Davidson. “But part of the problem is there are some vets that are moochers and they’re clogging up the system. And we do as taxpayers want to make sure the VA filters out these folks that are pretenders. Just like we wish there were no people out there with stolen valor, but that’s a problem in the vet community too.” While several topics were discussed at the town hall, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was one topic the freshman congressman spoke about at length, including his new bill that he campaigned on during his run for election. Last week Davidson introduced the Lead by Example bill that would require members of Congress, the Senate and their staffers to switch their health care to the VA system by January 2019. “One of the best ways to reform the VA is consistent scrutiny, consistent oversight,” Davidson said. While there is a committee to provide oversight for the VA in Congress, Davidson suggested, “why not have everyone in Congress — senators, congressmen, staff members — everywhere across the country dealing with the VA.” Davidson said U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald is “showing progress” two years into his tenure and “we’re all in the country rooting for him.” However, Davidson said there’s not enough success in transforming the VA system that some have criticized for taking too long to pay claims. “There’s a lot of frustration, too little to show for it,” Davidson said. Davidson said changing to a new VA secretary will only delay things further, which is why he said “there’s been a lot of will in Congress to support him.” During the American Legion National Convention in Cincinnati at the end of August, McDonald said he disagreed with a notion that the VA is broken. “We have challenges, yes. But VA can be transformed,” he said last month. Steven Fought, the Democrat challenging Davidson this November for his 8th Congressional District seat, said not only is McDonald, the former CEO of Proctor & Gamble, the “right man for the job,” but the VA system is only one part of a greater issue. “We’re all in the same boat when it comes to a health care system that needs to be addressed,” said Fought, who worked 17 years as a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C. He said the Affordable Care Act may have made health care more accessible, but it wasn’t designed to address cost containment which is why rates are increasing. But Fought said “the most obvious problems that plague the system” are things like unacceptable wait times. He said the choice plans are good, but need to be improved because right now the VA is sending veterans into a “challenged” system. “We have to make a commitment of this country for more competitive health care,” he said. [Source: Dayton Daily News | Michael D. Pitman | September 20, 2016 ++] ***************************** My VA Story ► New VA Website This week CVA launched a new website – www.MyVAStory.org – as a platform for veterans to share their experiences with Department of Veterans Affairs’ facilities nationwide. Since the launch on 12 SEP, VA has already received an outpouring of stories and experiences – nearly one hundred so far, and counting! Over two years ago the news of manipulated waitlist times broke in Phoenix, leading to the exposure of scandal after scandal at the VA. Many stories have come to light since then, including multiple veterans deaths due to extended wait times, millions spent on lavish artwork, medical records being mailed to incorrect recipients, and facilities using dirty surgical tools, just to name a few. We seem to learn about a new failure on the part of the VA just about every week. But there is more going on at the VA than them learning from the news; your stories are showing them that. Check out just a few of stories veterans have submitted about their experience at VAs: Valentin, Kansas: “In all the years I have been going to the VA…I don’t understand why they don’t read your files.” “Recently I called for medication which I need for diabetes and for my usual diabetic shoes. The answer for my shoes which I have been getting for about eight years was ‘we don’t think you qualify’.” Travis, Arizona: “I have two years of backed up medical bills the VA won’t pay.” “I try to use my ‘Choice Card’ and have all procedures done local since I am 90 miles from my VA hospital…My wife has to battle the Choice Program just to keep the paperwork going. Gaps in the paperwork being delayed which I end up in the emergency room being tapped and drained. Then the VA won’t pay for those ER visits because they delayed the paperwork.” Jay, Pennsylvania: “VA employees not involved in my medical care began repeatedly and frequently accessing my medical records.” “I am both a severely disabled veteran and an employee of the VA. A few years ago I reported concerns of patient care and safety at the small VA hospital where I worked. In response, VA began calling my consults for care related to my service connected disability.” Philip, Maine: “I have been in the VA system for nearly 20 years.” “Granted most of my healthcare is obtained locally from ‘civilian’ facilities because of the distance to my VA clinic, but I have never had a poor experience with the VA system to date. All positive and professional.” Mike, California: “Medically retired in March 2016. Didn’t get in to see my VA doctor until September.” “[I’m] tired of getting asked what my disability is every time I walk into a clinic. Can’t see a VA mental therapist until November. Some respect and appreciation for my sacrifice, as opposed to attitude and condescension would be refreshing.” A few of the stories are positive. But most stories pouring in detailing poor quality of care, retaliation, delays in wait times and benefits at VA facilities across the country. What have your experiences been at your local VA? Tell them at www.MyVAStory.org . [Source: NCOAdvocate | Emilye Bell | September 15, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA GAO Findings Update 03 ► Outdated And Fragmented Policies The Department of Veterans Affairs spends billions of dollars annually on contracts for goods and services without proper oversight and management, according to a government watchdog. The VA spent roughly $20 billion during fiscal 2015—over a quarter of the agency’s discretionary budget—to procure goods and services for veterans’ health care, and at least $46 billion over a three-year period, according to a new audit by the Government Accountability Office that faults the agency for managing contracts using “outdated and fragmented” policies. The audit is the latest evidence of mismanagement at the federal agency, which has been widely scrutinized since the secret wait list controversy at government-run hospitals more than two years ago. The VA spends billions each year on contracts for a wide range of goods and services that include construction, information technology, medical services, and medical supplies. Auditors discovered shortcomings in the VA’s data systems, policies, oversight, acquisition workforce, and contract management related to the agency’s multi-billion-dollar procurement program. The agency’s contract management has been repeatedly flagged for shortfalls. An independent assessment mandated by legislation enacted in 2014 following the wait list scandal found the acquisition program to be unduly complex and faulted the agency for not always procuring goods and services at the lowest available price. A senior official at the agency penned an internal memo, later obtained by the Washington Post, to VA Secretary Robert McDonald in 2015 that said the agency was spending at least $6 billion annually on medical care and supplies in violation of federal contracting regulations. “This GAO report shows VA’s contracting operations are as dysfunctional as ever. This is the same sort of bureaucratic bungling that led to the massive VA procurement scandal that was exposed in 2015,” Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, told the Washington Free Beacon. “The fact that VA can’t seem to stop mismanaging resources underscores the agency’s lack of respect for taxpayer dollars ... Given VA’s abysmal accountability track record, it’s unlikely the department will hold any employees accountable for this mismanagement, leaving veterans and taxpayers to foot the bill,” Miller said. The GAO found that the VA has two versions of acquisition regulation guidance, both of which are outdated, in addition to 14 memoranda, 170 information letters, and 12 day-to-day “acquisition flashes” that contract officers can follow, creating confusion among employees about what to use as guidance. These forms of information conflict with federal acquisition regulations in more than a dozen ways. This confusion sometimes resulted in large sums of money being doled out for contracts without proper adherence to procedures. For instance, auditors determined that a contracting officer awarded a $335,000 contract to a veteran-owned small business without a justification or approval, in violation of an updated policy of which the employee was unaware. “Clear policies are key to ensuring VA conducts procurements effectively on behalf of veterans,” auditors wrote. The review, initiated last July and completed this month, found that the VA isn’t taking full advantage of a vending program that allows medical supplies to be purchased at significant discounts. The agency has also not developed guidance to consolidate contracts made by regional facilities. VA’s procurement program is spread across six different contracting organizations that span the agency’s administrative branches. This decentralized organization has led to mistakes, including equipment being procured from the wrong contracting office and duplicate contracts being awarded, according to the audit. The VA also does not adequately track the total sums it spends on contracts. GAO auditors found that the VA recorded roughly $46 billion in procurement expenses between fiscal years 2013 and 2015, but because the VA’s electronic data on contract expenses was incomplete, the estimates reflected “much lower total obligations” than those recorded in other federal databases documenting contract spending. The VA database underestimated contract obligations over the three-year period by about $10 billion, according to separate federal data. “This situation results in missed opportunities for VA to understand the full picture of where its obligations are going, information that is needed to effectively monitor and provide oversight of procurement actions,” auditors found. The VA did not respond to a request for comment. A representative of Concerned Veterans for America, a veterans group pushing for VA reform, told the Free Beacon that the VA’s poor management of its procurement process is unsurprising given the department’s past failings. “The VA continues to be buried in red tape and bureaucracy, and cost efficiency is not a top priority for the self-serving bureaucrats who work there. Until real VA accountability is enacted, American veterans will continue receiving poor service and American taxpayers will continue getting short-changed,” said Shaun Rieley, an analyst at Concerned Veterans for America. The House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations plans to hold a hearing on reforming VA procurement this week. [Source: The Washington Free Beacon | Morgan Chalfant | September 19, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Health Care Access Update 43 ► Wait Time Comparison Reporting Once again, Robert McDonald, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has made the headlines. As USA Today reported (http://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/2016/09/12/va-quit-performance-data-hospital-compare/90123440). Secretary McDonald disregarded the laws and rules after the previous secretary of the VA, Eric Shinseki, had to fall on his sword when news broke of the debacle at the Phoenix VA Hospital where 20 veterans were killed. You may think that "killed" sounds harsh, but that was the result of patients dying while waiting for care that either wouldn’t or couldn’t be given in time. McDonald promised to fix things. One of the fixes was going to be that veterans who couldn’t receive treatment could go outside the VA for treatment in the private sector. He then made it extremely difficult for veterans to do just that, and subsequently that the VA wasn’t so bad because not that many veterans were going for outside care. Of course no consideration was given to the fact that it was very difficult for the veteran to get that outside care. No, it couldn’t have been that. The VA had even entered information into a National Database, the theory being that veterans could compare the VA to the private sector. Health and Human Services set this up and included things like time of service, death rate, re-admission and other measures of quality care. The Department of Veterans Affairs over the summer quietly stopped sharing data on the quality of care at its facilities with a national database for consumers, despite a 2014 law requiring the agency to report more comprehensive statistics to the site so veterans can make informed decisions about where to seek care. Congress passed a law mandating the VA to submit even more data. Regardless of this, under Secretary McDonald, the VA chose to stop providing the data as of 1 JUL VA blamed HHS. The HHS has declined to comment. (http://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/2016/09/12/va-quit-performance-data-hospital-compare/90123440). In a separate move in February, the VA took down its own site that showed side-by-side quality comparisons for VA facilities (http://www.hospitalcompare.va.gov ). The site simply went blank. The VA spokesman, Joe Francis, tried to explain this in the usual VA circular bovine scatology, but even he admitted that he couldn’t defend the current system. The system was to be finished and up and running in February of 2015. On 13 SEP USA Today reported the VA will resume sharing data on the quality of care at its facilities with a national consumer database on 1 OCT. The site allows comparisons between public and private hospitals around the country on a number of criteria, including death and readmission rates. The VA inked a new agreement with HHS allowing it to resume sharing the performance data. “We’re very pleased and I know HHS is pleased and I think this is going to be a boon for veterans and the American people,” Joe Francis, director of analytics and reporting at the Veterans Health Administration, said in an interview. (http://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/2016/09/13/va-start-sharing-quality--care-data-again-national-consumer-site/90328478). [Source: VSO Rockland Cnty NY | Jerry Donnellan | September 18, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Rural Access Update 25 ► Expanded Transportation Program To access health care services, Veterans who reside in rural communities face several challenges such as lack of providers, geographic barriers, longer travel distances, and lack of supplemental transportation. To help rural Veterans access care, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is expanding it Veterans Transportation Services to more than 80 rural communities nationwide. The expanded transportation program features mobility managers at VA medical centers who coordinate free transportation to and from VA-authorized medical care. Rural Veteran Ralph Stetson stated, “From my home it’s 98 miles to the White River hospital. It wasn’t that much of an issue until I was told I needed to stay in a wheel chair. But since I’ve been placed in a wheel chair my life has been made a lot easier getting to the VA with the VA transportation service.” To learn more about the program, watch the new rural Veteran transportation video athttps://youtu.be/TVDuH1i4XcU. Veterans who need a ride should contact the Veterans Transportation Mobility Manager at their local VA medical center. Veterans or caregivers are encouraged to go to the Veterans Transportation Service website at http://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/vtp/map.asp and click on the appropriate state or scroll down the page for the contact information at participating VA medical centers. “There are some Veterans who have friends or neighbors or just somebody they know who can get them in here, but they’re few and far between. We have a very old population in this part of the country and we have folks who live out in the middle of nowhere. We provide transportation for those rural Vets and honestly, if we didn’t provide that these folks would not get care,” explained White River Junction VA Medical Center Mobility Manager Carol Hitchcock.
***************************** VA Health Care Utilization Update 01 ► Lead by Example Act An Ohio congressman wants to force all Capitol Hill lawmakers and their staff to receive health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure they have incentive to improve the system. But the top Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is blasting the idea as little more than a publicity stunt. On 13 SEP, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) introduced his “Lead by Example” act (H.R.6005), which would require all members of Congress and several thousand staffers to enroll in VA medical care “instead of under the Federal Health Benefits Program or other health care exchanges.” “Providing our veterans with the highest quality care is a bipartisan issue, one which nearly all the presidential candidates ran on,” he said in a statement. “Overhauling the VA is no easy task and will require consistent and intentional Congressional oversight for years to come. My bill will ensure members of Congress have stakes in improving the failing program.” He also co-authored an editorial with Fox News contributor and veterans advocate Pete Hegseth on the issue in Tuesday’s National Review, noting that “once members of Congress have to wait months for routine checkups or common surgical procedures, I’m guessing it won’t take long for them to see the desperate need to fix the problem.” About 9 million veterans receive VA health care services each year. VA officials have said that more than 90 percent of veterans seeking care this year have been able to schedule an appointment within 30 days.The average wait time across the system as of May was fewer than seven days for primary care and fewer than five days for mental health appointments. But department data released this summer showed more than 600,000 patients still faced appointment wait times of more than a month, an ongoing problem for officials still trying to rebuild trust after widespread appointment wait time scandals in early 2014. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) and acting ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, mocked Davidson’s proposal as ill-informed and impractical. “The VA health care system is specifically designed to treat the unique physical and mental health conditions that veterans face,” he said in a statement. “Any suggestion that it is interchangeable with private health care reflects a failure to appreciate why VA care is so critical to veterans.” "The VA health care system has critical challenges to solve. … Political messaging bills like this do nothing to support a solution.” No hearings or votes have been scheduled on the legislation. Currently, 100 members of Congress are veterans and are eligible for some VA health care services. [Source: Military Times | Leo Shane | September 14, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Whistleblowers Update 46 ► Settlement Policy Abuse Questioned House lawmakers want to know whether Veterans Affairs officials are using employee settlement policies to dismiss problem staffers instead of punishing them and push aside whistleblowers rather than address their allegations. “In an effort to make the disciplinary process more convenient, VA often agrees to pay out thousands of taxpayer-funded dollars both to the employee and their legal representation, as well as other benefits for the employee to simply just go away,” said House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL) during a hearing 14 SEP. “I wonder what type of message VA is sending to other good employees when they allow bad employees to settle for thousands of dollars, just because it would be too expensive or embarrassing to litigate.” In response, VA’s top lawyer said she does not see signs of abuse within the program but also acknowledged the potential for abuse. “The use of this tool is not and has not been taken lightly,” said VA General Counsel Leigh Bradley. “We also take seriously our obligation to hold employees accountable and … we will not hesitate to litigate appropriate cases.” The inquiry into the practice comes amid news reports of a Puerto Rico VA hospital employee who has been offered up to $300,000 to quit after filing complaints about a supervisor’s criminal record. VA officials would not comment directly on the case, saying it could interfere with ongoing personnel matters. Bradley called such large cash settlements unusual, and said all VA employees have been warned that retaliation against whistleblowers will not be tolerated. Committee officials said nearly $5 million in employee settlements have been negotiated since July 2014. In response to charges the settlements were meant to avoid lengthy firing processes, Bradley said that department officials typically avoid “clean record” settlements where workers can leave without any information about problems surrounding their departure appearing in their employment record. But Miller said 96 percent of the cases the VA provided for committee review included those clean records, raising the question of whether supervisors are more interested in ignoring problems instead of addressing accountability. That drew the ire of several committee members. “We want justice to be done,” said Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO). “If withholding derogatory (employment) info is a negotiating tool in these processes, that seems liable for abuse.” Bradley said the number of settlement cases and processes used by department supervisors are in line with other federal agencies, but officials are using new tools to evaluate VA’s use of the practice for potential future changes. [Source: Military Times | Leo Shane | September 14, 2016 ++] ***************************** VA Employee Accountability Update 02 ► Lucy Filipov Settlement After a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) leader was linked to records falsification, abuse of authority, tax evasion and whistleblower retaliation, the agency’s inspector general and an in-house disciplinary board both recommended that the official, Lucy Filipov, be fired. Instead, the department paid her a financial settlement, promised not to discipline her, and even gave immunity for undiscovered misconduct that might emerge in the future. It addition, it gave her a “fully successful” job recommendation, promised her a positive letter of reference for future employment, allowed her to remain employed, and work from home. The about-face indicates that the VA not only lacks the ability to discipline misbehaving managers, but shows it doesn’t even want to. It is perhaps the most astounding example of the VA quickly agreeing to “settle” with employees who are targeted for discipline and then threaten to drag the agency through the appeals process, such as the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). Filipov hired a lawyer, indicating she was prepared to make the firing difficult for the VA, but there is no public record that she even launched an MSPB appeal. Even if she did, only about one percent of people win such appeals. Despite such weak leverage, the VA promptly agreed to pay for her lawyer, drop the firing, compensate her with 137 hours of pay, and give her a positive performance rating and a letter of recommendation that would misleadingly tell any future employers that she was a good employee. “There was an inspector general report and [administrative investigative board], both said this person should be terminated, and this is what the settlement ended up being,” Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said, revealing the settlement in a hearing 14 SEP. “This is for a person that was recommended for removal. I just don’t understand how it could go from removal to all of this, and they were charged with retaliating against whistleblowers.” Miller did not identify Filipov, but The Daily Caller News Foundation has independently confirmed her identity. Filipov became assistant VA Regional Office Director of the Philadelphia benefits office in 2011 and acting director for many periods in the following years. An April 2015 inspector general report found that the office “cooked the books” to manipulate wait times to misrepresent how long veterans had to wait to get benefits — the VA said the delays were because the office was inefficient and disorganized. The report evaluated more than 100 allegations and complaints … Allegations of wrongdoing at the Philadelphia VARO included gross mismanagement of VA resources. “We substantiated allegations involving data integrity concluding that Veterans Benefits Administration guidance for adjusting dates of claims for unadjudicated claims had been misapplied… management within the [Veterans Service Center] was aware of the situation, but did nothing to stop the actions,” the IG report stated. Willie Clark, VBA eastern area director, responded to the report that he told Filipov “this type activity will not be condoned or tolerated in this agency.” The agency then conducted an in-house disciplinary investigation separate from the inspector general, and it, according to Miller, concluded that Filipov should be fired. “On July 10, 2015, eight Philadelphia VA Regional Office employees received proposed disciplinary actions related to the June 30th AIB, ranging from a 14-day suspension to removal,” a VA statement in January 2016 said. But by that time, it had already agreed to drop its attempt at firing her, and to grant her the additional concessions, in exchange for her agreeing not to file complaints against the VA and to accept a different job. Settlements “are not unusual, but it is unusual when you’ve got someone dead to rights to do it,” Cheri L. Cannon, a federal employment lawyer with Tully Rinckey, told TheDCNF. Filipov is a now a GS-13 insurance specialist in the insurance service. She works from home three days a week, has no background in insurance qualifying her for the job — the job was created for her as part of the settlement — and employees said they can’t figure out what she does. Cannon added that the demotion likely didn’t even mean a pay cut. “If you’re involuntarily downgraded, you [retain] your pay for two years,” she said. Much of the settlement appears designed to keep her on the payroll for perpetuity without having to go to work. The purpose of the positive evaluation and clean disciplinary record were because she is now covered under union rules, which say an employee can only work from home if they have a good record. The 137 hours of pay was because she was sitting at home on paid leave for six months — essentially a paid vacation — and thus had no need to use her vacation time, which expired at the end of the year. She wanted to be compensated for that. Filipov has been involved in numerous confirmed instances of misconduct. For example, she was separately found, according to the IG report, to have “misused her position for the private gain of a subordinate” by steering business to a colleague’s spouse — the VA only needed to get a few of the charges to stick to successfully fire her. Lawyers pointed out that managers could have fired her even more easily if they had disciplined her for the many infractions in real-time, resulting in “progressive discipline.” Filipov was also caught spying on congressional investigators. When Congress dispatched investigators to the Philadelphia benefits office to sort out the issues, she steered them a room rigged with live video and audio recording devices. Then, in the bathroom, a congressional staffer found a yellow notebook with the notes that staff should “ignore” the congressional investigators, and one had a “stick up her ass.” Filipov was later seen with the notebook. Also written and circled on the page were the names of two employees who had been whistleblowers. At the congressional hearing Wednesday, the VA’s top lawyer, Leigh Bradley, could not muster a defense of the settlement, implying it must have occurred under different political leadership. “I don’t know when this case took place, I can tell you that is antithetical to the leadership of Bob McDonald and Sloan Gibson,” she said, referring to the secretary and deputy secretary. The settlement, however, occurred well into both men’s terms. Then, Bradley indicated that she actually was familiar with the case, but couldn’t discuss it publicly, citing privacy laws. (Ironically, among the violations uncovered in Philadelphia was that the claims office wasn’t at all protective of veterans’ private information.) “I would very much like to, but I can’t do it in a public hearing,” she said. Miller then said the committee had already requested and received a behind-the-scenes briefing on the matter, and that the VA’s only “answer was the department had to make a judgment call.” [Source: The Daily Caller | Luke Rosiak | September 15, 2016 ++] ***************************** Directory: uploads uploads -> 587 Return function, r i(X) r i(0) r i(1) r i(2) r i(3) 1 0 2 4 6 Thermal Station, I 2 0 1 5 6 3 0 3 5 6 10 uploads -> Department of science and humanities department of mathematics part-a questions and answers uploads -> The Case Against the nypd’s Quota-Driven ‘Broken Windows’ Policing What Is It? uploads -> For want of a nail uploads -> Ownership Models There are two different types of ownership models uploads -> Police Militarization uploads -> City of rising star regular meting thursday, july 14, 2016 uploads -> Township of winfield uploads -> Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2014 uploads -> The Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Program What We Want Now! 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