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The Veterans Medical Scandal Revealed: Why Do Dozens of Veterans Die While Waiting for Treatment?
In 2014, the U.S. Veterans Affairs Healthcare Administration scandal shocked the country, with dozens of veterans dying while waiting for treatment. The scandal revealed significant flaws in the VA health care system and multiple systemic problems within the system. People can't help but ask: Why can such problems exist for a long time but cannot be solved in time?
Scandal exposure
According to reports, on April 27, 2014, CNN revealed for the first time that at least 40 veterans died while waiting for medical treatment at the Phoenix VA Medical Center in Arizona. Subsequently, further investigation revealed that an internal investigation in early May had confirmed that 35 veterans had died, primarily due to long wait times.
"The lives of veterans cannot be the price of delay."
The formulation and impact of laws
To address this crisis, Congress passed the Veterans Access to Care Act (H.R. 3230) in 2014, which was designed to enhance veterans’ medical options and give the Secretary of Veterans Affairs greater authority. to fire senior managers. In addition, the bill involves nearly $2 billion in spending to improve the quality and accessibility of medical services for veterans.
Detailed content
According to the bill, veterans who are more than 40 miles away from the nearest VA medical clinic or cannot get a medical appointment within a reasonable time will be issued a "choice card" that allows them to visit non-VA medical facilities. Receive diagnosis and treatment.
"Many veterans have endured a long wait and deserve better medical care."
Continuation of the question
However, as the bill is implemented, there are still problems with veterans' access to medical services. For example, in the 2017 whistleblower incident at the Manchester VA Medical Center, the external service provider hired by the veterans service agency failed to arrange necessary appointments in time, resulting in many veterans being harmed because they could not wait to see a doctor.
Consequences and ongoing reforms
According to reports, the services veterans receive through VA health care have increased since the bill was enacted, but it still cannot fully address all the problems in the existing system. With the government's continued efforts, the VA Mission Act was subsequently passed to further improve this situation and is committed to ensuring that veterans receive high-quality medical services.
"Our commitment to the heroes who have served our country cannot be abandoned lightly."
Conclusion
Looking back at this series of events, what we should think about is why obvious problems can still exist for a long time in this system? Do we pay enough attention to the health and lives of those heroes who have served our country?
