The worst health scandal ever just got much worse

 


To be a big government bureaucrat you have to have two skills:
1) Covering your butt, and 2) Putting out fires. You don't actually have to DO anything, as long as you lie low and move problems along down the line.

And that's exactly what the Department of Veterans Affairs is trying to get away with right now. Oh, I'll admit it's an impressive looking dance. It seems like a lot is happening. But all they've really been doing is dodging blame for the death of 40 veterans.

Butts covered! Mission accomplished!

About three months ago someone pried open the lid at Vet Affairs and the roaches went running. We learned that honchos in the Phoenix VA center secretly kept an off-the-record waiting list. This was how they made it look like injured vets were waiting only a couple of weeks for care when they were really waiting for months on end.

At the time, someone estimated that 40 or more vets had died while waiting to get basic medical attention. And this was just one VA center. Apparently VA fat cats were playing the same sort of shell games in other centers across the country.

So what did the bureaucrats do? They launched an investigation, of course. An INTERNAL investigation. That's right -- they investigated themselves! And can you guess how that went?

I think you can.

Earlier this week the VA's Office of Inspector General announced the verdict: None of the 40 deaths was caused by delayed care.

Seriously! They're basically saying that EVERY ONE of those deaths would have occurred even if the necessary medical care had been delivered quickly. Huh! I wonder if they got that insight from a psychic gazing into a crystal ball (and then maybe palmed a couple of bucks under the table).

This is beyond belief -- literally! And the VA seems to know that. Officials are blowing a lot of hot air about their new vow to shorten waiting times and hold administrators accountable. I'm sure that's VERY comforting to wounded vets as they wait and wait and wait. (And to the families of those whose waiting is now over.)

This past May, I encouraged you to honor our vets on Memorial Day by taking a moment to call the White House and your congressmen. Let's do the same this Labor Day weekend. It's time for our "leaders" to do some real leading for a change. Our vets put their lives on the line. The very least we can do is give them the finest and fastest care they deserve!

You can contact the White House at 202-456-1111, then check usa.gov for your congressmen's numbers. When they come back after the Labor Day break, let's make sure their voice mailboxes are full of our voices raised in powerful support of our vets.

Yours in good health,

Bob Reagan

NutritionandHealing@newmarkethealth.com