washington scene

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Steady Climb
The Consumer Price Index continued its steady climb in April. It now stands 1.4 percent above the FY 2014 COLA baseline. Follow the trends for yourself at www.moaa.org/colawatch.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member, expressed his concern over the DoD proposals. “We are now being forced to make a false choice between paying our troops and their families what they deserve and giving them the training and capabilities required to accomplish their mission and return home safely to their loved ones,” Inhofe said. “This is an irresponsible and reckless choice.”

MOAA agrees with Inhofe and thinks these budget proposals would be a major step backward. They would repeat the same mistakes that led to retention and readiness problems in the past, undoing the needed compensation improvements Congress put in place since 2000.

Tilelli concluded by saying, “These structural changes that we are talking about are a reduction in compensation [and] earned benefits. To prioritize prior to … the [Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Committee findings] is preemptive. You can continue to piecemeal year on year — benefits [and] compensation for retirees, servicemembers, and survivors — and pretty soon you create a volunteer force that’s no longer viable.”

Shinseki Steps Aside

Report confirms widespread VA problems.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki stepped down May 30 following confirmation by the VA Inspector General (IG) that secret waiting lists were used to deny veterans care in as many as 42 hospitals.

The IG report substantiated “serious conditions” at the Phoenix VA Health Care System, where 1,700 veterans were waiting for primary care appointments but were not on its electronic waiting list. Another 1,400 were on the official waiting list and were scheduled to receive care.

Phoenix managers in effect were cooking the books to sweeten performance appraisal accomplishments, “which is one of the factors considered for awards and salary increases,” according to the IG.

A survey of 226 veterans showed they waited on average 115 days for a primary care visit. This was due to discrepancies between the veterans’ appointment requests and the dates actual appointments were logged in the system.

The VA health care system is the largest integrated system in the country, with nearly 10 million veterans enrolled, 6.5 million seen each year, and 220,000 visits a day in 1,825 locations, including 152 hospitals, 800 community-based clinics, and 300 veteran centers. Two million new enrollees were added in 2013, resulting in a net gain of 1.4 million new patients system-wide.

The IG reported as many as 41 other hospitals in the vast VA medical system have similar problems. The VA IG has not completed its investigation over allegations that the secret waiting lists in Phoenix led to as many as 40 untimely deaths.

Shinseki pledged to fix the problems. However, trust in his effectiveness was eroding quickly among congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle, veterans, and the general public. The VA secretary is a cabinet-level appointment of the president, confirmed by the Senate. MOAA thinks the VA’s problems present a unique opportunity to take a comprehensive, strategic look at VA health care structures, delivery systems, and resources for our veterans in the 21st century. We continue to urge the creation of a high-level independent commission to examine VA health care for the benefit of our nation’s veterans and their families.