1000 dead veterans waiting on VA care not a big deal to Hillary Clinton

Here are a few damaging facts about the current scandal involving the Veteran's Administration:

1. In the past decade, nearly 1,000 veterans died as a result of subpar treatment. Grieving families of these victims have been paid $845 million over that time.

2. At least 82 veterans have died or were seriously injured because they waited too long for colonoscopies or endoscopies.

3. In the past three years, primary care appointments have increased by 50 percent, but the number of primary care doctors at the VA has only increased by 9 percent.

4. 57,000 new patients have waited at least 90 days for their first appointment at VA hospitals.

5. Veterans living in rural areas must travel an average of 63 miles to receive care.

6. Some VA staff confessed to the Government Accountability Office that they changed medical appointment dates to fit within the agency’s wait time performance goal of 14 days.

7. At the end of 2013, the VA had $34 billion leftover that they did not use to improve healthcare for veterans.

8. The VA spent $5.1 million on new software that was never used.

9. In 2010, the VA spent $80 million on travel-related expenses for its employees. One employee billed the VA $130,000 to cover his commute, hotel, and meal charges so he did not have to relocate.

10. Out of the 500 highest-paid US government officials, 483 work for the VA, including the top ten.

11. The VA has a pattern of giving bonuses to unworthy employees:

$8,216 to a radiologist who was unable to read mammogram and other x-ray images correctly;
$11,819 to a surgeon under suspension for leaving surgery early;
and $7,663 to a physician who practiced with an expired license for three months.

12. Nearly $1 billion was spent on building a state-of-the-art facility in Nevada but there aren’t enough doctors or nurses to treat patients there.

During an interview with Rachel Maddow this past weekend, Democratic presidential Hillary Clinton claimed that the current VA scandal is really no big deal and just GOP ideological propoganda.

“Veterans who do get treated are satisfied with their treatment. Nobody would believe that from the coverage that you see and the constant berating of the VA that comes from the Republicans, in part in pursuit of the ideological agenda that they have.

"But it’s not been as widespread as it’s been made out to be," Clinton said.