Kaine Statement On Department Of Veterans Affairs OIG Report On Wait Times At Virginia Medical Centers

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on the release of a report by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) that reviewed wait times across the Mid-Atlantic Healthcare Network (VISN 6) and shows Virginia Medical Centers reported wait times that were lower than those calculated by the VA OIG:

“The findings in the Department of Veterans Affairs IG report on wait times today are completely unacceptable. Though the report does not find intentional misreporting, it does find that actual wait times are drastically longer than what is being reported. The VA’s own standard on appointment wait times is not being met, either due to a lack of understanding or a lack of training. The bottom line is  our veterans are not getting the timely care they deserve.

“I have worked on this issue since 2014 and have again asked for an explanation from the VA IG’s office and a briefing from the VA on what actions are being taken to respond to this report. It is intolerable that nearly three years after identifying this issue we have yet to see the improvement that we expect and that our veterans deserve.”

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