New Scandal at VA: Workers Hid and Shredded Benefits Claims

Leaderless, and still reeling from revelations about mismanagement at its hospitals, the Veterans Administration is now being rocked by another congressional investigation. There are fresh allegations that tens of thousands of benefits claims, some from injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, were shredded, hidden or “lost” to create the illusion of an efficiently operating bureaucracy.

The news comes less than two months after former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki was forced to resign when it was revealed that VA hospitals across the country were systematically covering up excessively long wait times that left veterans languishing for months without needed care.

In a Monday night hearing on Capitol Hill, a trio of whistleblowers told the House Veterans Affairs Committee that in a push to clear up a backlog of hundreds of thousands of benefits claims, the Veterans Benefits Administration hid records, destroyed files, and changed the dates on claims to make them appear more recent than they really were.

New Scandal at VA: Workers Hid and Shredded Benefits Claims

At least they didn't lose their emails.

Do you have any thoughts on this? I would like to know your opinion.

a reply to: Metallicus

I think it's just one of countless examples of how we all have been "flamboozled" and "hoodwinked" by an endless stream of alphabet soup agencies who claim to be working for our benefit, when the fact is that they're all corrupt, worthless lower than pond scum wastes of human flesh whose only interest is doing nothing behind a desk eating Cheetos while raking in a free ride on your dime.

That's putting it nicely. If I had said what I really think, I'd likely be banned from ATS for violating the entire TOS agreement.

\i never liked Shinseki when he crammed the black beret down everyones throat even though it was already in use....it was really disrespectful...i kind of forgot about him until this. If this is true its saddening. The vets should just take over...not the whole country but maybe just some nice area. Take it over...don't pay any taxes on it and all vets are welcome to live there.

originally posted by: rockpaperhammock
i never liked Shinseki when he crammed the black beret down everyones throat even though it was already in use....it was really disrespectful...i kind of forgot about him until this. If this is true its saddening. The vets should just take over...not the whole country but maybe just some nice area. Take it over...don't pay any taxes on it and all vets are welcome to live there.

There still would be taxes. Asphalt for the roads, concrete for the sewers, copper or fiber optics for the infrastructure. Etc, etc...

But chances are the spotted owl and such creatures would be screwed. Not that I'm all that concerned about them at this point.

a reply to: TDawgRex

no you misunderstood i meant full on revolt where vets take a piece of land and just call it their own...they could do their own tax system if that's what you mean ...haha

a reply to: rockpaperhammock

Full on revolt would play right into their hands. And hurt the Vets in the long run, many of which are not capable of a full on revolt. Charging a roadblock on prosthetic's, walkers and wheelchairs would not end up in a happy ending.

No, the key is to keep up the pressure on our lawmakers and the media. Make it a issue they cannot ignore. Every story has a impact.

a reply to: TDawgRex

well if the vets took the lead youd see quite a lot follow...its gotta start somewhere...should be with the vets!

a reply to: rockpaperhammock

I agree with that. We're talking about laws here, not emotions. When emotions become involved it always spins out of control.

When the Government starts governing by emotion, that is the start of it's downfall.

Rational, Common Sense needs to prevail.

In canada we do have some horor stories with how vets are treated by there government, i am againts wars but god damn those people who served deserve alot better treatment that what there given.