Slow VA payments leave veterans facing collection agencies


An internal investigation of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has revealed a deeply flawed system. That’s according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The investigation was prompted by a whistleblower inside the V.A.

One of the many problems reportedly identified in the investigation is that veterans’ claims for medical treatment in the private sector often went unpaid.

After egregious backlogs in the V.A. system, Congress passed a law allowing vets to get treated by private doctors in certain cases.

But according to the Wall Street Journal, the V.A. was unable to keep up with the increasing number of claims from private care physicians, leaving many veterans’ medical bills unpaid.

The unpaid bills often led to veterans facing a collection actions.

[The region] failed to timely reimburse community health-care providers, which resulted in some of those providers terminating services for veterans and referring veterans to collection agencies for nonpayment.

V.A. internal investigation (Wall Street Journal)

The investigation also allegedly found wasteful spending amounting to “hundreds of millions” of dollars.

The V.A. says it will continue to work to reduce the backlog in payments, but that claims are coming in at a greater rate than the V.A. can handle, according to the article.

Click on the link below to read the full article:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/slow-va-payments-left-veterans-facing-collection-agencies-11576233003

Visit The Sharyl Attkisson Store today

Shop Now

Unique gifts for independent thinkers

Proceeds benefit independent journalism


Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

11 thoughts on “Slow VA payments leave veterans facing collection agencies”

  1. Sharyl, you are so right! My family are Tricare “clients.” My husband was an active duty Marine for 30 years and retired about ten years ago. We had a Tricare mess this last year, with a small bill (one doc visit for an ear infection last June) yet to be paid, but it’s already gone to a collection agency. A small thing for us, but I’ve spent over a dozen hours on the phone trying to get it taken care of and even called my Senator’s office to get assistance. We’re used to it though, the second class citizen thing.

    Here’s something I wish you’d investigate a bit: how men such as my husband have never received the benefits they are likely due because in order to work your way through the system for “disability” you are treated NOT like a man of integrity, 30-year’s service, rank-earned individual BUT you are treated like some guy trying to SCAM the system. When he started the process (his injuries were not that egregious in comparison, mostly shoulder surgeries/restriction due to a break during combat, a hip replacement, hearing loss and those things Marines generally get at a younger age — just worn out- and oh, a botched hernia operation onboard a ship decades ago)… but VA people told him he had to claim to be suicidal or have PTSD in order to get any type of compensation. His emotional health, despite many combat tours, is just fine and he was not willing to lie, beg or grovel to get benefits, so he quit trying probably less than a third of the way through the horrendous application system. People he knows are paying thousands of dollars to sometimes crooked firms who say they will maneuver through the system’s application process….worse still, the VA had hired third party contractors to assist in the process (probably to fix the backlog) but these so-called counselors, with ZERO military experience, treat the guys so poorly and it’s humiliating for the average guy with a job and a family. Guys have to return again and again for dozens of appointments, which is probably doable if they are unemployed or retired, but if you have a real job, there’s no way you can get that much time off. My husband realized very quickly that the VA disability system is mainly for people who don’t want to work. Sadly, those who do want to work are simply not accomodated!!!

    Sure, we could use a disability check, but my husband — the kind of guy the concept was created for — is too proud to grovel and refuses to say he’s got PTSD. (And then there is the whole thing that if you DO say you have emotional issues, you’re on some list where you cannot get a clearance if you want to contract and/or you get on some gun list compiled by the democrats….he will NOT be designated a terrorist by the next Obama admin that comes along!!!) These are just a few things we’ve discussed in my family. Thanks for caring about the veterans!

    1. Howdy Laura, I am sorry to hear about what your going through. There are many organizations to help with claims. You should never have to pay anyone to do a claim. I was a benefits advisor for the V.A., before I received my 100% non employable rating. He should try the Local VFW’s and DAV’s and what ever state Veterans Commission you live in. In my case I was bullheaded and didn’t want to go through with the whole process, I thought it was a waste of my time. But I’m glad I did! Your husband can file any time but you have up to a year within his date of discharge to receive back pay. Tri-Care is a whole other animal, even with Tri-Care prime there can be co-pays when going with a off post doctor, it’s always best to do all your health care on post if possible. But also remember Tri-Care is far far cheaper than any civilian insurance. Lol except dental and for that we just go to Mexico. I don’t know what state you guys retired in, but I decided for Texas, and every place I lived I received nothing but great care.

  2. Remember the book “America What Went Wrong”
    It seems the fabric of our society has decayed to the point that no fabric remains. I personally spent 23 solving a puzzle that encompassed every official office in New York state, at each rung of the ladder each office protected the others by ignoring the entire matter, no matter the extent of evidence. Community!
    Stay safe.

  3. “Congress passed a law allowing vets to get treated by private doctors in certain cases.”

    There would be no back long if the doctor would send a copy of the approval letter in with the billing for approved charges.

    As far as how the process works based on my own experience. VA can’t perform some function in a timely manner, the doctor makes the referral, a nurse contacts the network (Tricare) who then contacts the provider through a portal for an appointment (some doctors just ignore causing more delay). When the appointment doesn’t happen, the vet calls, the nurse sends it out again to Tricare who then sends to another doctor & appt. is made. As a vet I carry a copy of the VA letter to the provider showing what is approved, so that I nor the VA get stuck with bills for unnecessary procedures. If the vet doesn’t keep the appointment, the entire process starts again.

    The network was to increase the number of providers, so you might want to follow up on whether it was completed as part of their contract with the VA. Some doctors were not invited back, who in my opinion were wonderful, and the doctors have no idea why. Some vets go to the doctor with a laundry list of ailments knowing only certain things are covered in the letter and the provider doesn’t bother to ask. Some doctors think with no letter, it is open season on billing. They contract with the VA network provider (Tricare) for certain price caps and then the doctor attempts to charge the vet for the overcharge which is not allowed.

    Just because the VA has a bill that hasn’t been paid, doesn’t necessarily mean the VA did any thing wrong. Most of the problems are going to be initiated with the network, healthcare provider and the vet themselves. I have been through this process many times and it worked well. On longer term care, I always asked the heathcare provider if they were being paid with a positive responds. If the care needed to be extended, I checked to make sure the heathcare provider received approval.

    If the vets, their proxies, network provider and healthcare provider don’t follow the process, it jams up the system and opens it to billing fraud.

  4. Sheryl
    It also applies to every aspect of reimbursements!
    What I have found is the beauracracy is protecting its own in jobs that could be eliminated if they would use technology that has been in the market for decades like payment reemburdment for travel pay, my investigation has revealed that it goes through at least three maybe more hands before it is paid they do have a outdated check in for appointments at the VA however all it does is send it to a beauracracy to circumvent us standing in line outside there office! I personally believe it needs to be shut down the Va is a waste of tax payers money! Then give the veterans the ability to seek private care in the free market. That is the only real solution. Like many of the created dept of the federal govt! It is “to big to fail” not! Shut it down! Richard USMC Ret.

  5. I am an Army veteran. I’ve made several exposures regarding VA abuses. You can view my television appearance on Fairfax County’s Ch. 10 by searching YouTube to “The VA’s Inside War Against Our Nation’s Veterans.” There is also a very expository, expanded, slideshow on YouTube available by the same search. I hope my efforts help veterans.

  6. If you are “APPROVED” for Veterans Choice, you are allowed to go to a Private, Non VA Medical Facility. At that point, VA is Responsible for the Bills. I use it quite often myself. I call BS on your story. What is your Problem with the VA? It is a HUGE Agency, It is Improving on a daily basis. Just because you have a problem, you think the whole world should get behind you?

    1. JD, re-read the article. It’s about those Private clinics not getting paid in a timely fashion by the VA for your Non-VA care. If they don’t get paid, they start collections against the Vet.

  7. [Satire alert] It’s good to see some level of consistency in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    As a Vietnam Veteran (CIB, Purple Heart, etc.) who has never received a dime from the VA (not that I didn’t try), I’m not surprised by this agency’s inability to efficiently administer the improved methods allowing veterans to receive care from private physicians under certain conditions. I actually went to Washington D.C. years ago to directly file my claim form with supporting documentation that took six months to compile and it (promptly and efficiently, I’m sure) fell into a black hole.

  8. I saw this coming when the bill was passed. The problem is identified. Perform an honest analysis of the root cause. Come up with a fix and execute. There are employees who are capable to perform an honest analysis and being honest trigger harassment, retaliation, retribution and eventual termination and I know first hand.

Scroll to Top