DeGette Calls for State- and Site-Level Details of VA Audit

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-01) called for the Department of Veterans Affairs to investigate and release state- and site-level information about the scheduling and access management practices of Veterans Health Administration facilities after the department released an initial audit summary. This system-wide audit was quickly conducted after abuses of the VA's scheduling system were uncovered at multiple facilities across the country. Veterans who were seeking treatment at VA facilities and faced delayed appointments and suffered health consequences as a result of the unreported delays.

"The VA has done a commendable job in releasing this system-wide information as we all try to get to the root of this problem," said Rep. DeGette. "We now need to dig a little deeper to understand which facilities were falsifying records, how they were doing so, and who was directly responsible. To get to that level of detail, the VA needs to audit each facility and release state- and site-level information. Only then can we ensure facilities are operating properly and veterans are receiving the level of care they deserve."

Last week, Rep. DeGette was joined by Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet and Congressmen Ed Perlmutter and Jared Polis in asking President Obama and former Veterans Affairs Secretary Shinseki for specific audit details on facilities that serve Colorado veterans.

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