The Veteran's Administration has admitted that 23 people across the country have died because of delayed care. The agency faces accusations that hospital administrators gamed the system to conceal wait times. The Dayton Daily News recently reported that since 2001, the VA has paid out more than $34.4 million to settle claims of delayed treatment. Ohio Senator Rob Portman today said veterans need to be at the front of the line for the best treatment not at the back of the line for mediocre treatment.
"Apparently a lawsuit has been filed in Dayton for instance about some of the same issues of veterans being put on waiting lists and then some sort of fraudulent activity to cover up those waiting lists. This is outrageous," Portman said in a conference call with Ohio reporters Thursday.
Portman says he recently wrote to Veteran's Administration head Eric Shinseki asking him to detail his plans for data transparency at the VA.