VA Pays Out $845 Million in Medical Malpractice Cases in 10 Years

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“The VA likes to say they’re accountable. I don’t believe the word even exists in the VA dictionary,” said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Those are harsh words but the facts concerning the Veterans’ Administration payments concerning medical malpractice point out quite clearly that medical care at the federally run facilities are less than accountable. One media report noted, “Cox reporters analyzed federal treasury data that found taxpayers spent more than $800 million paying 4,426 veterans and their family members who brought malpractice claims against the VA medical system since 2003. In 2012, a total of 454 financial settlements and awards added up to $98.3 million. Their stories were wrenching: a 20-year Marine Corps veteran who went in for a tooth extraction and is now paralyzed and unable to talk; the Vietnam War veteran who died from cancer after doctors failed to note evidence in multiple X-rays over three years; the Korean War veteran who went in for a routine biopsy and bled to death without being checked on for hours.” As we just commemorated another Veterans’ Day, isn’t it time to honor our veterans with good medical care?

Mark Abramson
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