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Kansans Are Still Waiting: Sen. Moran Seeks Long-Overdue Answers from Acting VA Secretary
Jun 11 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today called on acting Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Sloan Gibson to help improve the VA’s tense relationship with Members of Congress by providing long-overdue answers to questions that were previously ignored by the VA. Sen. Moran asked Sec. Gibson to provide answers on eight issues of importance to Kansas veterans he raised over the past 18 months with former-VA Sec. Eric Shinseki and his staff.
"Many federal agencies consider healthy tension between the executive and legislative branches the norm, but this is also a relationship that must be nurtured and treated with mutual respect at all times," Sen. Moran wrote in a letter to acting-Sec. Gibson. "It has been my experience that Congress’ relationship with the VA has deteriorated over time; I struggle to understand why this has happened and why it has become increasingly difficult to get answers on behalf of Kansans who seek my help to do so… There are numerous issues and inquiries listed here that I would like to draw your attention to as we begin to build a constructive relationship with the best interests of veterans in mind."
In his letter to acting-Sec. Gibson, Sen. Moran details his interaction with the VA on each outstanding question and asks for a timely response on the eight issues outlined below. Of particular concern are revelations that the VA has withheld information from Congress on the future of the successful Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) program, which rural veterans rely on for access to quality health care. Sources tell the Senator that the national program director for ARCH directed the five pilot sites several months ago to begin contacting veterans who participate in ARCH to let them know the program would be ending. All the while, the VA told Congress that no decision on the future of ARCH had been made, analysis was pending, and the extension of the program would be made by either Undersecretary Petzel or Secretary Shinseki.
While this list does not encapsulate every request or inquiry from Sen. Moran, these are inquiries with a history of ineptitude and unacceptable delays. This list is also meant to demonstrate the lack of urgency from the VA headquarters in addressing Congressional concerns. To read the full request for information or for more details on each of the questions raised by Sen. Moran, see attachment at bottom of page.
- Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH): Since 2011, the ARCH pilot program has been operating in five rural sites across the country including Pratt, Kansas. ARCH serves rural veterans by giving them access to health care from a community provider close to home instead of traveling hundreds of miles to seek care at a VA facility. Independent analysis shows that more than 90 percent of veterans who received primary care services through ARCH are “completely satisfied,” and cite significantly shortened travel times to receive care. Sen. Moran has repeatedly asked VA officials – including Sec. Shinseki directly at a March 2014 SVAC hearing – about the future of the successful ARCH program which is set to expire in September 2014. Instead of the straightforward analysis promised by Sec. Shinseki, Sen. Moran has only received empty promises and non-answers from the VA. Sources outside the VA now tell the Senator that the national program director for ARCH directed the five pilot sites several months ago to begin contacting veterans who participate in ARCH to let them know the program would be ending. The VHA has given Congress the impression they were waiting on analysis about the success of the program to inform their decision about extending the program and all along that has been a misleading storyline. At a time when the VA says it is looking for ways to “accelerate access to care” for veterans, the VHA made an intentional decision not to inform Congress about their plans to discontinue this successful program. Sen. Moran is enraged by this breach of trust because those who suffer from this irresponsibility are veterans.
- Unauthorized Activities at VA Facilities in Kansas: Sen. Moran details unanswered questions raised regarding troubling incidents at the Leavenworth Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center and the Topeka Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center, as well as the nature and status of investigations at each facility. Sen. Moran’s questions regarding Leavenworth focus on allegations of a VA employee threatening other employees on multiple occasions – including once with a firearm while on VA property. The Senator’s questions regarding Topeka focus on the nature of the emergency room closure at the Topeka Medical Center and allegations that misconduct and malfeasance – not simply staff shortages – caused the closure.
- Liberal, Kansas, Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) and Provider Recruitment and Retention: For more than three years, the Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Liberal has been without a primary care provider. For nearly three years, Sen. Moran has asked the VA about this vacancy, when a provider might be hired at the Liberal CBOC and, more broadly, how the VA intends to improve its methods for recruitment and retention of health care providers – especially in rural communities. To date, Sen. Moran has still not received an explanation of how the VA intends to look for new ways to recruit and retain health care providers in rural communities, or information on when the Liberal CBOC will have a permanent provider to serve veterans in the area.
- • Wichita, Kansas, Dole VA and McConnell Air Force Base (AFB) Collaborative Project: For the past 18 months, Sen. Moran has sought answers from the VA on when the Dole VA/McConnell AFB collaborative project – which has been in the works for seven years – would be funded and constructed in Wichita. Although the widely-supported project is highlighted in a separate chapter of the FY15 budget proposal as one of six “future VA/DoD collaborative projects,” the FY15 budget proposal and Strategic Capital Investment Plan (SCIP) major construction list did not score or rank the Dole VA/McConnell AFB collaborative project, after ranking it #196 in the FY14 SCIP. VA officials have stated time and again that new construction for a collaborative facility on McConnell AFB is not a matter of “if” but “when.” Sen. Moran has raised real concerns that internal VA processes, inattention and inconsistencies in staff work are having a negative impact on future-year collaborative projects that would benefit service members.
- Dodge City Community College (DCCC) Helicopter Program: The DCCC has received disparate responses from the Muskogee, Oklahoma, VA Regional Office and the St. Louis, Missouri, VA Regional Office on both the process and availability of GI Bill reimbursement for their flight instructor pilot program. The conflicting feedback between regional offices suggests a need for increased oversight from VA headquarters and better coordination not only between headquarters and regional offices, but also among regional offices themselves. Sen. Moran has yet to receive the response needed from the VA to resolve this situation for Dodge City Community College.
- Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) and Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors (LPMHCs): In 2006, Congress authorized the employment of LPMHCs and MFTs by the VA. However, the two professions comprise less than 1 percent of the VA behavioral health workforce, despite representing almost 40 percent of the overall mental health workforce in the United States. On March 19, 2014, Sen. Moran submitted six questions regarding mental health services for veterans and the hiring of mental health professionals in Kansas – specifically the hiring of MFTs and LPMHCs. For example, how many of the 1,723 mental health professionals who have been hired are located in Kansas? Sen. Moran has yet to receive answers to any of his questions, a classic example of Congress’ experience when interacting with the VA.
- Disclosure of Medical Conditions – Disability Compensation Review: Last month, Sen. Moran requested information on the VA’s policy regarding the disclosure of ailments or medical conditions discovered during a veteran’s disability compensation review process that are unrelated to the condition(s) listed for review. He is concerned that as a matter of VA policy veterans are not notified or disclosed of any condition identified by a health care professional during the disability compensation review process if a veteran does not list this condition on the disability compensation claim. Sen. Moran believes that when seeking health care, veterans should be made aware of conditions that affect them. Although he received answers from the VA on this policy question on June 6, 2014, the response leads to more concerns about how veterans are being treated. Sen. Moran’s staff followed up with more questions to fully understand the nature of this policy and its impacts on veterans. He asks that acting-Sec. Gibson look for ways to eliminate this policy to safeguard the health and well-being of veterans.
- Health Care Scheduling Prevented Beyond Six Months: Sen. Moran requested information on an apparent VA policy that prevents a veteran from scheduling appointments beyond a six-month window. The by-product of this policy is further delaying the actual appointment date for a veteran and contributes to wait time inaccuracies. Given that a wait time is typically months from the date a veteran calls to schedule an appointment, this unnecessary postponement extends the timeframe for a veteran to receive care and is yet another reason for unreliable data on actual wait times. Sen. Moran asks acting-Sec. Gibson for a timely answer regarding this nonsensical policy.
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“The latest findings are the result of a so-called nationwide audit conducted by VA employees through face-to-face interviews — far from a comprehensive assessment and sincere look at the magnitude of the dysfunction at hand. In fact, the Office of Inspector General wasn’t involved whatsoever and those conducting the audit did not utilize the same practices and procedures as the IG.
I certainly appreciate the remarks of my colleague, the Senator from Texas, in regard to honoring those who served our country so nobly and so courageously 70 years ago, as we recognize this weekend the anniversary of that invasion of Europe, called D-day.
We have many veterans in our country, many military men and women who continue to serve and many who now are veterans and have served in the past, and I am here today to pay tribute not only to those D-day military men and women and those who served our country on such a special occasion in which the course of history was changed, but also to pay tribute to all of those who served our country in all circumstances.
I am not a veteran. I have great regard for those who are. My life is shaped by the fact that the Vietnam war was ongoing during my days as a high school student, and much of my time was spent talking to those a few years older than I who were volunteering or who were drafted, and those who were a little bit older than that who returned home after service in Vietnam. I clearly remember as a 16- or 17-year-old watching the evening news, ``CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite,'' and every day the news was consumed with reports from Vietnam, the consequences we found ourselves in, and the sacrifice men and women were making on that battlefield every day.
Again, I didn't serve in Vietnam, but I learned a couple of things from my time observing our country and seeing the sacrifice and service of those who were willing to serve in that war. One of the things I take from that experience is we will always honor, care for, respect those who serve our country in the military in whatever circumstance they have been called to duty.
It was a month ago that I was on the floor on this spot, concerned about the Department of Veterans Affairs and the way our veterans are currently being treated. I asked for a dramatic step of the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit his resignation and for President Obama to accept it. As I indicated a month ago, that was the first and only time as a Senator that I ever asked a Cabinet Secretary to depart his or her position--and I didn't do it lightly--but what had transpired, and what has transpired over a period of time, is a Department of Veterans Affairs that many veterans no longer believe is capable of caring for them. In fact, what was so discouraging and disappointing to me was the number of veterans, men and women who served our country, who had lost faith, who had lost hope in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
That Department was created in 1930 for purposes of providing the benefits and health care supporting those who were called to duty, those who responded to their country's call. I certainly know that throughout the course of history the Department of Veterans Affairs has had its challenges, but what seems so compelling to me over the last several years is the sense that no longer was there a plan, no longer was there the effort to make certain that Department lived up to its commitment to those who previously served our country.
A lot has transpired in the last month, and there is now an Acting Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. And of course we have reports from across the country of secret lists, concerns about waiting times, and the potential of servicemen and women, veterans, who have suffered as a result of those lists, as a result of having to wait. I guess we will know more about that over the course of time.
I am surprised and disappointed to learn that Kansas hospitals, Kansas facilities, the VA hospital in Wichita is on that list where investigations are now ongoing and where the Department of Veterans Affairs has admitted to a list that delayed access to health care. I would not have expected that in our State. I think we are different. We are special. But the reality is this challenge and the problems we face are system-wide and across the country. What we want is a Department of Veterans Affairs that is worthy of the sacrifice and service of the men and women who served in our military. We don't want damage control from the Department of Veterans Affairs. What we want is the end of damage to those who served our country.
The purpose of my conversation on the floor today is to make certain we don't lose sight. The news cycle comes and goes, and while there are serious issues our country faces in many facets, I don't want this Senate to lose sight of its responsibility to make certain the Department of Veterans Affairs is caring for those who need our care and treatment.
Mr. President, I am worried, and I hope my worries are unfounded. I have only served in the Senate for 4 years. I have been frustrated by being a Member of the Senate. I came here to work on behalf of Americans, on behalf of Kansans. My plea is--my plea is to the Democratic leaders, to Republican leaders, to individual Senators, whatever party they are: Let's not follow the path we have followed so many times in the short period of time I have been here in which there is a Republican plan to fix a problem and there is a Democratic plan to fix a problem. Surely our veterans deserve something more than each of us being able to say we cast a vote for their benefit. Surely they deserve the opportunity to actually have legislation that will address the challenges and problems the Department of Veterans Affairs has. My plea and my request of all in this body is, for these veterans, is to make certain we conduct ourselves in a different way than unfortunately I have seen in most instances as a United States Senator.
We have this phrase around here, ``Well, we will get a side-by-side,'' meaning there is a Democratic plan and a Republican plan; and when you talk about that. What that means is we never expect either one of those plans to pass. So to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, to Senator Reid, the majority leader of the Senate: Please take us down a path that demonstrates once again the Senate can rise to the occasion and do something worthy of the veterans who have served our country.
Every once in a while in this frustration about the way this place doesn't work, I will put on my running shoes and I will walk down to the Lincoln Memorial. It certainly is an inspiring visit to the Lincoln Memorial, but perhaps more importantly on that walk you now go by the World War II Memorial that memorializes those that the Senator from Texas was talking about on D-day. You then walk by the Vietnam Wall, the war that was ongoing in my teenage years. On your way back you come by the Korean War Memorial, the forgotten war. What I am reminded of and what I would call to the attention of my colleagues is not a person recognized in any of those memorials volunteered or was drafted for purposes of advancing the cause of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. There was no interest in partisan politics by those who served our country. They served their country because they believed in a higher calling. They believed they could make a difference. They believed it mattered to their kids and grandkids. It was about freedom and liberty. It wasn't about who scores points in the next election.
Please, leaders of the Senate, all of my colleagues, make certain we rise to the occasion, that we have the same standard, the same motivation, the same reason that we come here every day to be the same as theirs: to make America a better place, to make sure our kids and grandkids live with freedom and liberty, to make sure the American dream is alive and well. If there is an issue that we ought to be able to do that, an issue perhaps different than anything else we deal with, surely we have the ability as a United States Senate to deal with the issues necessary legislatively to resolve and address the problems of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to make certain that every veteran who has served our country has the ability to access quality health care provided in a timely fashion, and that once again the Senate doesn't do what it has done too many times, and that is we all cast a vote and we can claim we have done something, we supported something, but the end result is that nothing happened. Let's avoid nothing happening.
Finally, let me conclude by saying that World War II Memorial is special to me. I have a 98-year-old father home in Plainville, KS, a World War II veteran. I walked up to the World War II Memorial 10 years ago, just a few days before it was being dedicated, and I wanted to see what it was going to look like. It was an inspiring moment. I happened to have my cell phone with me and I walked over to the Kansas pillar and thought about those who served our country in that war, including my dad back home. I walked away from the memorial and used my cell phone to call my dad at home. The message I delivered to my dad that day was: “Dad, I am at the World War II Memorial. It is a memorial built for you. Dad, I want you to know that I thank you for your service. I respect you and I love you.”
That conversation, fortunately, took place on an answering machine and not in person, and was easier to deliver, although a few minutes later my cell phone rang and it was my dad, who said, “Gerald, you left me a message, but I couldn't understand it. Could you tell me again?'”
The point I want to make is, we are called upon as American citizens and certainly as members of the Senate to do all that is possible to demonstrate that we thank our veterans for their service, we respect them, and we love them. The Senate needs to rise to the occasion and not let the partisan politics of this place and this country divide us in a way in which we only symbolically respond but the end result is that we fail those who served, and we failed our veterans who depend upon us just as we have depended upon them for their service to our country.
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today sent a letter to Acting Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Sloan Gibson seeking answers regarding the VA’s knowledge of new, unauthorized wait lists in the Midwest revealed last week by Veterans Integrated Service Network 15 (VISN 15) and the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita, Kan.
Sen. Moran received a letter from VISN 15 on May 29, 2014, confirming the existence of 10 unauthorized wait lists in the VA Heartland Network, including two lists that put veterans “at risk” and resulted in 108 veterans waiting more than 90 days for health services. A letter to Sen. Moran on May 30, 2014, from Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center Director Francisco Vazquez confirming the existence of an unauthorized wait list that put veterans at risk – but stated that “96 veterans waited more than 90 days” for care. Later statements by Wichita VA Director Vazquez indicated an even higher number of impacted veterans, adding to the disparate information.
“Following receipt of these letters, Senator Moran’s staff contacted the IG, and was told that the VA Office of the Inspector General (IG) had not received any disclosure from VISN 15 related to the 10 unauthorized lists at that time, and more specifically the two lists that put veterans at risk,” the Senators wrote to Acting-Secretary Gibson. “We are writing to you today to fully understand the circumstances regarding the unauthorized wait lists disclosed by the Directors of both VISN 15 and the Wichita VA Medical Center.”
Sens. Moran and Burr ask for answers on 11 specific questions, including: why is it necessary for VISNs to conduct their own internal audit while a national audit is being conducted; were the results of the VISN review part of the national audit; did the VA have knowledge of the internal VISN 15 review; when was the VA made aware of these unauthorized lists and what materials were provided by VISN 15 to the VA Office of the Inspector General; what are the results of the national audit for these same facilities within VISN 15; what actions did the VA take when made aware of the VISN 15 review; and what is the process and procedures the VA uses to account for all unauthorized actives within the VA system to make certain there is precise record-keeping for every incident?
“…We hope to build a relationship with you based on trust and a mutual interest in giving veterans the care they deserve and a department worthy of their service,” Sens. Moran and Burr wrote. “Veterans must have their hope restored in the agency that was created to serve them. We look forward to working with you as you seek answers, hold individuals accountable and strive to break down the bureaucracy that has taken a hold of this agency for far too long.”
Please find the full text of the letter to Acting VA Secretary Gibson on the VA Heartland Network wait lists below along with a full list of the Senators’ questions:
Dear Secretary Gibson:
As you assume Secretarial leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs in the wake of these founded, disgraceful practices impacting veterans at VA facilities around the country, we hope to build a relationship with you based on trust and a mutual interest in giving veterans the care they deserve and a department worthy of their service. As a West Point graduate with a family history rich in serving our country, you have every intention of righting this Department to make certain veterans are treated with respect instead of being made to feel like a burden. Veterans must have their hope restored in the agency that was created to serve them. We look forward to working with you as you seek answers, hold individuals accountable and strive to break down the bureaucracy that has taken a hold of this agency for far too long.
On May 29, 2014, Senator Moran and other members of the Kansas delegation received a letter from Dr. William Patterson, Director of Veterans Integrated System Network (VISN) 15. The letter disclosed that as of May 28, 2014, a review conducted of the VISN’s facilities revealed that 108 veterans were waiting over 90 days for health services. Furthermore, the letter describes that VISN 15’s medical center directors were asked to determine whether any unauthorized wait lists were being utilized at these facilities. The medical centers directors reported there were 10 unauthorized lists, of which eight were “complements” to the authorized lists and “[t]he other two lists placed Veterans at risk.” Lastly, the VISN Director states that the VA Office of Inspector General (IG) was notified of the two lists which were deemed to place veterans at risk. According to the VISN, medical centers have terminated the use of these lists upon discovery and are working to contact all veterans that were identified on these lists.
On May 30, 2014, Senator Moran received a second letter regarding the same unauthorized list disclosure from the Director at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita, KS, Francisco Vazquez. Although similar, the second letter stated “the data on May 28, 2014, revealed 96 Veterans waiting over 90 days.” We are troubled that the medical center and the VISN disclosed disparate information. Following receipt of these letters, Senator Moran’s staff contacted the IG, and was told that the IG had not received any disclosure from VISN 15 related to the 10 unauthorized lists, and more specifically the two lists that put veterans at risk.
Secretary Gibson, we are writing to you today to fully understand the circumstances regarding the unauthorized wait lists disclosed by the Directors of both VISN 15 and the Wichita VA Medical Center. In order to do so, we ask you provide answers to the following questions:
- 1) Please explain why it is necessary for VISNs to conduct their own internal audit while a national audit is also being conducted. Additionally, please explain why results of this an internal local audit are released without coordination from objective VA entities. If VISN 15 acted within its own authority to conduct and complete internal reviews without seeking VA central office approval, how does VA maintain accountability for such reviews and findings?
- 2) Please provide the time period, scope, and methodology pertaining to the VISN’s internal review that determined the number of veterans waiting more than 90 days, 10 unauthorized wait lists within VISN 15 and that only two of these lists put veterans at risk.
- 3) If the information provided to Senator Moran from the VISN and Wichita VA Medical Center are indeed the result of an internal review and not the results from the national audit announced by former Secretary Shinseki, please provide the results of the national audit for all of the facilities within VISN 15.
- 4) When and how did VISN 15 contact the IG to disclose the existence of unauthorized waiting lists? Please furnish the materials VISN 15 provided to the IG.
- 5) Did VISN 15 notify VA central office regarding the number of veterans who had waited more the 90 days and the existence of 10 unauthorized lists? If so, what actions did VA take when made aware of the internal reviews findings?
- 6) Did VA ask or encourage VISNs to conduct similar reviews? If so, please provide the findings of the internal reviews for all 21 VISNs nationwide.
- 7) Beyond the face-to-face national audit underway, has VA provided any guidance to the VISNs and/or facilities about how to identify wait lists and veterans who are waiting for care? How are VISNs and facilities instructed to identify veterans who haven’t been placed on a wait list whatsoever, such as those told to call back at a later time to schedule an appointment?
- 8) At the VA medical center in Durham, NC, three employees have been placed on administrative leave for actions related to scheduling irregularities. Please provide the number of veterans in VISN 6, by facility, that have been waiting more than 90 days and the number of unauthorized waiting lists identified by each facility.
- 9) Does VA have a policy or other procedures, for all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities, that require a facility or VISN to report up the chain of command to the VISN, VA central office, the Office of Inspector General, or Office of Medical Inspector any unauthorized activity identified within their facility?
- 10) What is the current process the VA utilizes to organize and account for all identified unauthorized activities throughout the VHA system? What organization is responsible for the accounting, monitoring, and follow-on administrative actions of every incident and investigation that results from identified unauthorized activities?
- 11) Please provide the procedures for facilities or VISN to provide information to Congress on disclosures directly related to issues identified since the allegations at the Phoenix Healthcare System surfaced.
Given the scope and severity of the current wait time allegations, it is imperative that VA provide guidance to facilities to make certain all unauthorized waiting lists, scheduling irregularities or procedures that limit access to care are identified and full investigations are undertaken by VA and the IG. Under your leadership and as these situations unfold, veterans must not continue to wait for care and suffer because their access has been denied. Those who have undermined VA policies and committed this sacred breach of trust impacting veterans around the country must be held accountable for their actions and fully cooperate with the IG. We are seeking your personal attention to these matters and look forward to a timely response to our questions. For your reference, we have attached the two letters received by Senator Moran.
Sincerely,
Richard Burr
Ranking Member
Jerry Moran
United States Senator
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Sen. Moran Urges President Obama to Improve Health Care for Rural Veterans
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, recently urged President Obama to consider veterans in rural areas as the Administration works to strengthen and accelerate access to health care for veterans.
“Rural veterans in Kansas and other states face significant challenges accessing health care through the VA system,” Sen. Moran said. “The burdens of time and distance prevent many rural veterans from receiving basic care through a VA facility and, all too often, important preventative or follow-up care is extremely difficult to obtain. I believe that any expansion of health care outside of VA facilities should afford rural veterans the option for them to choose care in their own communities.”
Sen. Moran continues to recommend that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expands a successful program already being implemented to support rural veterans – Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH). Earlier this month, during Senate Appropriations Committee mark-up of the FY2015 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, Sen. Moran had language included that expands and extends Project ARCH (Access Received Closer to Home) beyond its expiration in September 2014, making certain it is appropriated in FY2015 at $35 million. In addition, Senator Moran introduced a bill, S. 2095, similar to the amendment that was successful in the Appropriations Committee whereby the ARCH program would be authorized beyond September 2014 and expanded around the country. ARCH is a congressionally authorized pilot program implemented by the VA that allows veterans to access care from non-VA community providers closer to where a veteran lives. Since 2011, the ARCH pilot program has been operating in five rural sites – one of those sites is Pratt, Kan. Analysis shows that more than 90 percent of veterans who received primary care services through ARCH were “completely satisfied” with the care, and cited significantly shortened travel times to receive this care. Sen. Moran believes veterans would benefit from the VA extending and expanding the ARCH program.
Rural Americans have consistently served in our military at rates higher than their proportion of the population. In fact, 44 percent of U.S. recruits today are from rural area, and they will become our nation’s veterans of tomorrow. Additionally, 41 percent of all veterans enrolled in the VA health care system reside in rural communities, creating a vital need for health care access in rural areas. The disproportionate number of rural Americans serving in the military has created a disproportionate need for veterans’ care in rural areas. In order to provide timely access to for rural veterans, Sen. Moran believes care options must include Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Sole Community Hospitals and other rural hospitals that provide quality, community-oriented, primary and preventative care located where rural veterans live.
Click below to view the full letter Sen. Moran and U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) sent to President Obama.
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Sen. Moran Sponsors the Veterans Choice Act
Bill provides veterans choice and flexibility in medical care, increases accountability and transparency at the VA
Jun 04 2014
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, joins Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) as a cosponsor of the Veterans Choice Act to address the most pressing concern of giving veterans access to care in light of the ongoing VA scandal. The Veterans Choice Act would provide veterans with greater choice and flexibility in health care providers and increasing accountability and transparency at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
"As proof of the systemic dysfunction and lack of leadership at the VA continues to mount, we do not need more damage control – we need to eliminate the damage being done to our nation’s veterans," Sen. Moran said. "The most important thing is making certain our veterans receive the highest quality care possible and access to care they deserve. The Veterans Choice Act makes certain veterans no longer struggle with unacceptable wait times at VA facilities by giving them the option of being treated by their local physician or being admitted to their local hospital. The success of this approach has already been demonstrated with Project ARCH (Access Received Closer to Home), which enables rural veterans who live more than an hour from a VA facility the ability to receive care from their local health-care providers. Current analysis shows that more than 90 percent of veterans who received primary care services through ARCH were ‘completely satisfied’ with the care, and cited significantly shortened travel times to receive this care."
According to the Interim VA Inspector General (IG) report issued last week, 42 VA medical facilities across the nation are now under investigation, and delays in care and manipulation of records are “systemic throughout” the VA, including waiting times in Phoenix averaging 115 days for initial primary care – more than four times the previously reported average of 24 days. The IG found that some 1,700 veterans waiting for primary care appointments were never placed on the Phoenix VA’s electronic wait list, and according to the report, “these veterans continue to be at risk of being forgotten or lost in Phoenix HCS’s convoluted scheduling process.”
The Veterans Choice Act provides veterans with more choice and flexibility, while bringing much-needed accountability and transparency to VA operations. This legislation will provide:
CHOICE: Provide veterans’ flexibility and choice in medical providers:
- • If VA cannot schedule an appointment for a veteran within their wait time performance metrics or the veteran resides more than 40 miles from any VA medical center (VAMC) or Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), then the veteran can exercise their choice to receive care from the doctor or provider of their choice;
- • Requires VA to abide by the Department of Treasury’s Prompt Pay rule; to contract using Medicare prices; and any co-pay a veteran would pay goes to the VA; and
- • Authorized for two years following VA’s implementation of the program.
TRANSPARENCY: Increase transparency in VA operations:
- • Directs VA to publish on each VA medical center (VAMC) website the current wait time for an appointment, current wait-time goals, and to improve their “Our Providers” link to include where a provider completed their residency and whether the provider is in residency;
- • Directs VA to establish a publicly-available database of patient safety, quality of care, and outcome measures;
- • Directs VA to report to the Department of Health and Human Services the same patient quality and outcome information as other non-VA hospitals; and
- • Directs Veterans Health Administration to provide veterans with the credentials of a provider prior to surgery.
CHANGE: Tighten accountability on VA operations:
- • Provides the VA Secretary the authority to demote or fire Senior Executive Service employees based on performance. (Includes the VA Management Accountability Act H.R. 4031/S. 2013, passed by 390-33 in the House of Representatives);
- • Removes scheduling and wait time metrics/goals as factors to determine performance monetary awards or bonuses;
- • Directs VA to establish policy outlining penalties and procedures for employees knowingly falsify data on wait times and quality measures, including civil penalties, unpaid suspensions, or termination;
- • Directs VA to modify performance plans of the directors of VA medical centers (VAMC) and Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) to ensure they are be based on overall quality of care that veterans receive; and
- • Directs VA to consider reviews from the Joint Commission; the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities; IG Combined Assessment Program reviews, CBOC reviews, and Healthcare Inspections; and the number and outcomes of administrative investigation boards, root cause analysis, and peer reviews in assessing the performance of VAMC and VISN directors.
Sen. Moran Statement on Proposed EPA Regulations
Jun 02 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) made the following remarks today regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed regulations on existing power plants:
“The proposed EPA rule, crafted without the input of Congress, amounts to a national energy tax that will threaten economic growth, destroy jobs, and lead to higher energy costs for Kansas families and businesses. Kansas would be especially hurt because more than 60 percent of our state’s electricity production comes from coal. At a time when our country is making progress in regaining manufacturing jobs from abroad, these regulations will again send jobs out of the United States. Washington should focus on common-sense policies to make energy cleaner and more affordable rather than more red tape and harmful regulations. This Administration continues to ignore the impact a rule like this has on average Americans."
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Sen. Moran on VA Secretary Shinseki Resignation
"Leadership matters... we need a fresh perspective and a leader who is willing to shake up the VA's bureaucratic culture."
May 30 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), the first U.S. Senator to call for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign on May 6, released the following statement today in response to President Obama’s announcement that Secretary Shinseki is stepping down:
"Leadership matters; Calling for Secretary Shinseki’s resignation did not come lightly to me, but accountability starts at the top and the step taken today is just the beginning,"Sen. Moran, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said. "We now need accountability and true reform within the VA all across the country. For this to occur, we need a fresh perspective and a leader who is willing to shake up the VA’s bureaucratic culture. I believe this individual should not come from within the current dysfunctional system that is failing our veterans. I hope the President is willing to give veterans an individual they can trust to take the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in a new direction, and give veterans hope that the VA can move beyond its failures and provide them with the care they earned and deserve. We should not rest until our veterans have a Department of Veterans Affairs worthy of their service and sacrifice."
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Sen. Moran: Release All Reports on Investigations of VA Wrongdoing
"The release of these reports will allow Americans, the press, Congress and veterans to see what the VA knew, when they knew it and what they did about it."
May 29 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today called on the Senate to pass legislation to make public all past reports by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of the Medical Inspector (OMI) on their investigations into wrongdoing at VA facilities. On May 21, Sen. Moran introduced S. 2401, legislation to require the VA to submit routine Reports to Congress on the findings and recommendations stemming from any OMI report, including all OMI reports from the last four years.
S. 2401 mirrors an amendment offered by Sen. Moran that same day to the Fiscal Year 2015 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The amendment was unanimously accepted in mark-up by the full Senate Appropriations Committee.
“As the proof of systemic dysfunction and lack of leadership at the VA continues to mount, we do not need more damage control – we need to eliminate the damage being done to our nation’s veterans,” Sen. Moran said. “Veterans and the public demand full accountability and transparency from the VA and Congress should fall in line with the Appropriations Committee by passing legislation to publically release OMI reports on access and quality of health care at VA facilities. The release of these reports will allow Americans, the press, Congress and veterans to see what the VA knew, when they knew it and what they did about it. This is a critical step toward resolving the problems at the VA so that veterans have a Department of Veterans Affairs worthy of their service.”
Unlike reports from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), such as the interim report on the Phoenix VA released Wednesday, OMI reports are not made public or released to Congress. Because OMI reports are not available for review, it is impossible to know whether the VA has taken any action to implement the OMI’s recommendations for improvement in each case of wrongdoing.
The initial Report to Congress would cover Medical Inspector reports over the last four years detailing the findings, recommendations and legal or administrative actions resulting from the investigation. Sen. Moran’s legislation will require the VA to detail any legal or administrative action taken against employees identified in these investigations, who should not be serving veterans and whether such action was followed through. Sen. Moran’s bill is coauthored by U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.).
Click below to read the full text of S.2401, which would:
- Require OMI to review the quality of health care provided to veterans by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and by the VA through contracts with non-VA health care providers;
- Require review of VHA offices that have an impact on the quality of veteran’s health care and the performance of the Department in providing such care;
- Require OMI to review offices and facilities of the VHA to make certain that policies and procedures of the VA and the VHA are applied consistently;
- Require OMI to investigate any systemic issues that arise within the VHA, including the following: improper issuance of credentials and privileges to health care providers, impediments to access to VA health care for veterans, wait times for appointments by veterans at VA medical facilities in excess of established wait-time goals, and intentional falsification by VA employees of information or data with respect to wait times for appointments;
- Allow OMI to form investigative teams as needed in order to carry out reviews or investigations, including investigations that require site visits, surveys, the collection of data, or the analysis of VA databases;
- Allow OMI to recommend policies to promote economy and efficiency in the administration of, and to prevent and detect criminal activity, waste, abuse and mismanagement in programs and operations of the VHA; and
- Require OMI to make each investigation report available to the public on a VA website, and for those reports to be submitted to Congress, the VA Secretary, and the Under Secretary for Health.
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