Patient Shoots Himself Outside VA Medical Center

BY JOHN HOMAN, The Southern

A patient of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Marion suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head Thursday afternoon outside the facility.

Hospital director Warren Hill said the incident occurred about 2:30 p.m. Hill, speaking at a news conference, said the patient was treated on site by medical personnel in the emergency room. They stabilized the man before he was transferred to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale.

The Marion facility has yet to receive the green light to resume complex surgeries, which is why the patient was transferred.

Southern Illinois Healthcare spokeswoman Rosslind Rice said at 4:30 p.m. the patient was “undergoing treatment” at Memorial Hospital. “No additional information is available at this time,” she said.

Hill said VA officials were in the process of trying to contact the man’s family members. He did not specify whether the man was an out-patient or an admitted patient. “This was a very tragic incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the patient and the family,” he said. “We cannot disclose any more information on the person involved.”

VA Employee, 13 Others Charged in Fraud Scheme

By BRETT BARROUQUERE • Associated Press

A Veterans Administration employee and 13 other people have been charged with conspiring to steal nearly $2 million in disability claims.

Veterans Affairs service representative Jeffrey Allan McGill and Daniel Ryan Parker, a veteran and officer with the Disabled American Veterans, were among the 14 charged Wednesday by a federal grand jury with conspiring to defraud the United States of $1.9 million through the submission of false veterans disability claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The indictment outlines an alleged scheme for veterans to falsely claim to have suffered from bipolar disorder, hearing loss, frostbite, back injuries and other ailments and disabilities. The indictment says veterans received lump-sum payments for back pay and then kick backed as much as two-thirds of it to Parker and McGill.

"They're all veterans," U.S. Attorney David Huber said at a news conference Thursday. "That's what's sad about all of this."

Parker, 37, of Crestwood, is free on $25,000 bond. He is also charged with stealing $47,000 from Disabled American Veterans. His attorney, Brian Butler of Louisville, did not immediately return a message seeking comment. A phone message left for McGill, 37, was not immediately returned Thursday morning.

Huber said the remaining defendants, who live in Kentucky, Illinois and West Virginia, would voluntarily surrender at arraignment on Dec. 16 in Louisville.

Huber said Parker and McGill received between $500,000 and $600,000 in kickbacks, with the rest of the stolen money being split among the participants. According to the indictment, starting in 2003 and continuing until this month, Parker and McGill recruited friends, relatives and acquaintances who were military veterans to file fraudulent claims with the VA. Parker and McGill then allegedly either altered the veterans' medical records, or created counterfeit medical records, to give the appearance that the veterans had service related disabilities. That resulted in the veterans receiving 100 percent disability for problems such as depression or cancer due to Agent Orange exposure during combat in Vietnam, according to the indictment.

Huber said the case came to light after a tip from a confidential source. He declined to discuss how the source knew about the alleged plot. "But for that confidential source, this case may not have been known for some time, if at all," Huber said.

Michael Keen, the resident agent in charge for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Louisville, said the scheme could hurt veterans who needed the allegedly purloined funds. "Obviously, the Department of Veterans Affairs doesn't have a bottomless pit of money," Keen said.

Huber said prosecutors will try to recoup the money taken during the scheme.

Veteran Consumer Councils: A Voice for Change

The Mental Health Strategic Plan for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) strongly encourages the promotion of Consumer Councils. These councils are operated by veterans, with VA staff serving as non-voting consultants. Typical aspects of the mission may include advocacy, problem-solving, and assisting with a recovery orientation to mental illness such as through stigma reduction. Meetings may also be for the purpose of exchanging facts or information, providing personal input, or expressing opinions and ideas.

Consumer Councils benefit the veterans and the VA in many ways. The council can assist in improving mental health services, promote opportunities for growth, improved veteran and staff satisfaction, increase communication and shared responsibility and decision making, resulting in improved mental health services. Consumer councils may provide feedback to mental health leadership based on individual inputs from council members; this input is not consensus based.

Consumer Councils are comprised of veteran officers including a chairperson, other veteran members, a VA staff consultant(s) who facilitates functioning of the council and may include the Local Recovery Coordinator, Mental Health Leadership, who respond to the council's input, and other interested staff and members of the community, such as family members, Veterans Service Officer (VSO) representatives, and members of the mental health organizations. Consumer Councils initially establish their mission and bylaws, including criteria for membership.

VA staff should be aware of how Consumer Councils may be impacted by the Federal Advisory Council Act (FACA) Guidelines. To be consistent with these guidelines, meetings are established by the veterans and they set parameters for the operation of the council as independently as possible; VA staff should avoid establishing, managing or controlling consumer councils. VA staff may give information, make recommendations, provide guidance and facilitate communication with VA leadership in a consulting and liaison role. The VA cannot provide major funding for a consumer council; however, it can provide meeting space, clerical help, and small items like stationary supplies.

Travel Reimbursement Increases for Eligible Veterans

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that eligible veterans will see an increase in the mileage reimbursement they receive for travel to VA facilities for medical care.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake announced today that he will use his authority to raise the mileage reimbursement from the 28.5 cents per mile to 41.5 cents per mile for all eligible veterans.

“We owe it to our veterans to give them the best care possible,” said Peake. “The increase will once again provide assistance to our veterans, especially in these difficult economic times, to help offset gasoline costs and to assist veterans with access to the VA’s world-class health system.”
Congress, which mandates such increases, recently provided funding to VA to increase the reimbursement rate, which goes into effect on November 17, 2008. Service connected veterans, veterans receiving VA pensions, and veterans with low incomes are eligible for the reimbursement.

“As I have travelled the country and spoken with many of our veterans, they have expressed the need for such an increase,” added Peake. “We are pleased to be able to provide them with the increase needed and we will continue to work with our veterans to ensure they receive the quality care they need.”

While increasing the payment, the current deductible amounts applied to certain mileage reimbursements will remain frozen at $7.77 for a one way trip, $15.54 for a round trip, and capped at a maximum of $46.62 per calendar month. On January 9, 2009, these deductibles will decrease to $3 for a one way trip, $6 for a round trip, with a maximum of $16 per calendar month. Deductibles can be waived if they cause a financial hardship to the veteran.

VA Expands Protections for Veterans After Shreddergate

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced special procedures for processing claims from veterans, family members, and survivors whose applications for financial benefits from VA may have been mishandled by VA personnel.

These special procedures come after an audit by VA’s Inspector General found documents waiting to be shredded at some of VA’s regional offices that, if disposed of, could have affected the financial benefits awarded to veterans and survivors.

“I am deeply concerned that improper actions by a few VA employees could have caused any veterans to receive less than their full entitlement to benefits earned by their service to our nation,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “In rectifying this unacceptable lapse, VA will be guided by two principles – full accountability for VA staff and ensuring veterans receive the benefit of the doubt if receipt of a document by VA is in question,” he added.

VA worked with the six largest veterans service organizations in developing these special new procedures. The procedures will assist veterans and survivors in establishing that an application or another document was previously submitted to VA, but was not properly acted upon by VA and was not retained in the veteran’s records.

The special procedures cover missing documents submitted by a veteran or other applicant for VA benefits during the 18-month period between April 14, 2007 and October 14, 2008.
VA will process any missing applications or evidence resubmitted under these special procedures as if the document had been originally submitted on the date identified by the claimant.

Veterans and other applicants have one year, or until November 17, 2009, to file previously submitted documents under these special procedures. Veterans not covered by these special rules who believe relevant material is missing from their files can submit additional documentation at any time. An award of benefits earlier than April 14, 2007, may be established if there is credible corroborating evidence supporting an earlier date of document submission.

When this problem of mishandled documents was uncovered on October 14, 2008, VA immediately ceased all shredding activities while it established tighter controls over all claims documents and conducted special training for all employees who process veterans’ applications.

All regional office shredding equipment and operations are now under the strict control of the facility records management officer. Every employee has been given a separate receptacle for papers appropriate for shredding. These receptacles are subject to review by supervisors and other officials. Before any claims document can be shredded now, it must now be reviewed by two people and the facility records management officer.

VA’s Inspector General is continuing to investigate a small number of cases where inappropriate shredding may be traceable to a specific employee. Legal and disciplinary action will be initiated to hold accountable any employee who has acted improperly.

Veterans and others who are concerned about missing documents and want more information on the special processing procedures may call 1-800-827-1000 for assistance or go to our website at http://www.vba.va.gov/VBA/specialprocedures_qa.asp. They may also send an e-mail inquiry through IRIS@va.gov or visit their local VA regional office.

VA representatives will review VA’s record systems to verify receipt of applications and supporting evidence and will assist anyone desiring to file a claim under the special processing procedures for missing documents.

VA Announces Expansion Of Disability Evaluation System Pilot

In a VA news release, wounded service members leaving the military will have easier, quicker access to their veterans benefits due to the expansion of a pilot program that will offer streamlined disability evaluations that will reach 19 military installations, representing all military departments.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today the expansion of the Disability Evaluation System (DES) pilot which started in the National Capitol Region in coordination with Departments of Defense (DoD). The pilot is a test of a new process that eliminates duplicative, time-consuming and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments.

“Providing Service members going through the disability process with comprehensive information about their benefits from both departments and delivering their VA benefits as fast as possible is our goal. This single evaluation will help us do just that,” Tom Pamperin, deputy director of VA’s Compensation and Pension Service, said. “The program expansion will allow wounded warriors a smoother and more efficient transition to getting services from the VA.”
The initial phase of the expansion started on Oct 1, with Fort Meade, Md. and Fort Belvoir, Va. The remaining 17 installations will begin upon completion of site preparations and personnel orientation and training, during an 8-month period from November 2008 to May 2009.
“The decision to expand the pilot was based upon a favorable review that focused on whether the pilot met its timeliness, effectiveness, transparency, and customer and stakeholder satisfaction objectives,” said Sam Retherford, director, officer and enlisted personnel management, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. “This expansion extends beyond the national capital region, so that more diverse data from other geographic areas can be evaluated, prior to rendering a final decision on worldwide implementation.”

The remaining installations to begin the program are: Army: Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Drum, N.Y.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; Fort Richardson, Alaska; Fort Wainwright, Alaska; Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas; and Fort Polk, La. Navy: Naval Medical Center (NMC) San Diego and Camp Pendleton, Calif.; NMC Bremerton, Wash.; NMC Jacksonville, Fla.; and Camp Lejeune, N.C. Air Force: Vance Air Force Base, Okla.; Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.; Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.; and Travis Air Force Base, Calif.

In November 2007 VA and DoD implemented the pilot test for disability cases originating at the three major military treatment facilities in the national capitol region. To date, over 700 service members have participated in the pilot over the last ten months.

The single disability examination pilot is focused on recommendations from the reports of the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terrorism Heroes, the Independent Review Group, the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors (the Dole/Shalala Commission), and the Commission on Veterans’ Disability Benefits.

President-Elect Obama Promises to Veterans

In the coming months, this nation will know more about how President-elect Barack Obama intends to run this country and the Veterans Administration. We will soon learn of who the President-elect intends to appoint as the Secretary of Veteran's Administration. The following compiles his promises made in regards to Veterans.

Expand Vet Centers: Barack Obama will expand and strengthen Vet Centers.

Fully Fund VA Medical Care: Barack Obama will fully fund the VA so it has all the resources it needs to serve the veterans who need it, when they need it. The current administration....has consistently underinvested in healthcare for our heroic veterans.

Allow All Veterans Back into the VA: Barack Obama is committed to ending the unfair ban on healthcare enrollment of certain groups of veterans, including “Priority 8” veterans who often earn modest incomes. He has voted to end this unfair policy, which has resulted in the VA turning away nearly one million veterans since 2003. As president, one of Barack Obama’s first acts will be signing an executive order reversing this ban.

Reduce the Claims Backlog: Barack Obama will hire additional claims workers and convene our nation’s leading veterans groups, employees, and managers to develop an updated training and management model that will ensure VA benefit decisions are rated fairly.

Build an Electronic VBA: Barack Obama will transform the paper benefit claims process to an electronic system that will be interoperable with the VA’s health network as well as military records. This will reduce error rates, improve timeliness, and enhance the overall quality of the claims decisions.

Update the GI Bill: The new GI Bill will allow veterans who served after 9/11 to receive payments covering tuition up to the cost of the most expensive in-state public school, a monthly stipend equivalent to housing costs in their area and additional benefits, and an extended period of time in which vets could use the benefit.

Combat Homeless Among Our Nation’s Veterans: Obama will establish a national “zero tolerance” policy for veterans falling into homelessness.

Fight Reservist Employment Discrimination: Barack Obama will invest additional resources into enforcement and investigation in order to crack down on employers who are not following the letter and spirit of the law.

And something that has personally affected my family, and does not apply to us anymore, but is still VERY noteworthy...
End Stop-Loss: Barack Obama will end the policies that allow a service-person to be forced to remain on active duty after his or her enlistment has expired.

While none of these policies have been implemented and it remains to be seen what will occur in the coming months and years, the upcoming administration appears to be aware of veteran problems and appropriately attempting to address the problems.

Portland VA hospital mistakenly posts vets' personal data online

by Michael Milstein, The Oregonian

Personal information, including some Social Security numbers, of about 1,600 patients at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Portland was inadvertently posted on a public Web site, Portland VA officials said Saturday. The breach also involved patient information from other VA hospitals around the country, but Portland VA spokesman Mike McAleer did not know how many patients were affected nationally.

The affected Portland patients had stayed in local lodging at the VA's expense while undergoing treatment at the Portland VA Medical Center, McAleer said. Most were from Oregon.
The VA is offering affected patients free credit monitoring and fraud alert services, a step that Congress required in 2006 after previous data security lapses at the VA.

The disclosure did not include Social Security numbers of all 1,600 patients, McAleer said. In some cases, only patient names or partial names were posted online. He did not have a breakdown of how many Social Security numbers were released. No medical information was disclosed, he said.

The release occurred when the VA inadvertently included personal patient information in agency financial records transferred to the federal Web site USAspending.gov, McAleer said. The site allows the public to search for details of government contracts and spending.
He said the records transferred involved the VA's spending on behalf of patients at local hotels.

VA officials removed the information from the Internet as soon as they realized it was there, but McAleer did not know how long the information was publicly available. The Portland VA began notifying affected patients about the lapse by letter a little more than a week ago. "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or worry this may have caused you," said one letter from David Stockwell, acting director in Portland.

VA patient Mary Birmingham of Wilderville, near Grants Pass, received a letter last week saying that her Social Security number had been disclosed. She said she had resisted VA suggestions that she access her records on the Internet because she feared such a lapse. "I have never felt like it was secure enough to be doing that," she told The Oregonian. "I feel even less secure about it now."

The letters from the VA explain to patients how to sign up for a credit monitoring service free for one year to detect any evidence of identity theft. In 2006, Congress required the VA to provide such services when patient data are compromised. The VA also must provide identity theft insurance and fraud alerts, which are notices on people's credit reports requiring institutions to check with them before issuing credit cards or other credit. Congress passed the law after a laptop computer containing the names and Social Security numbers of 26.5million veterans and 2.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserve was stolen from the home of a VA employee in 2006.

The same law required the VA to use encryption to better protect personal patient data and to centralize its information security systems. After the 2006 incident, all VA employees also received training in the proper handling of sensitive information.