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Angie Drobnic Holan
By Angie Drobnic Holan May 22, 2014
Back to Make the Veterans Administration a national leader in health reform

Long wait times overshadow other accomplishments

We last reported on this promise in 2012, looking at the four points mentioned in Obama's campaign materials: electronic records interoperability, effectiveness research, wellness programs, and accountability for performance and quality improvement initiatives. Based on significant improvement in those areas, we rated this pledge a Promise Kept.

Even back then, however, we noted that the Veterans Health Administration had longstanding problems with patient backlogs. In a separate report, we looked at his promise to reduce the Veterans Benefits Administration claims backlog and rated it Promise Broken.

On this promise, though, the Veterans Health Administration was winning kudos from academic journals for being a model or leader in health care because of its advances in electronic health information systems and comparative effectiveness research.

A spokesperson for Veterans for Common Sense told us there were other steps forward in veterans' health care under Obama, specifically an expanded suicide prevention hotline and a budgeting process that would mean fewer delays in providing medical services.

As of early 2014, though, those advances are being overshadowed by headlines about veterans dying while waiting for care at VA facilities in Phoenix, VA workers creating phony documentation about wait times, and other questions about the availability of care. We expect it will take some time to sort out how extensive the problems are and whether they are widespread throughout VA facilities.

Needless to say, if veterans can't access care, that puts into question whether the VA can claim to be a national leader in health care reform.

We expect to look at this promise again before the end of Obama's term. In the meantime, we're changing the rating to Stalled.

Our Sources

CNN, Veterans dying because of health care delays, Jan. 30, 2014

CNN, Phoenix VA officials put on leave after denial of secret wait list, May 1, 2014

Washington Post, As outrage over VA allegations grows, Obama and aides scramble to respond, May 20, 2014

Washington Post, A guide to the VA health care controversy, May 15, 2014

Arizona Republic, Deaths at Phoenix VA hospital may be tied to delayed care, April 10, 2014

Fox News, Obama assigning deputy chief of staff Nabors to oversee VA review, May 14, 2014

The Washington Post, VA mental health system sharply denounced at hearing, April 25, 2012

The New York Times, Veterans Department to Increase Mental Health Staffing, April 19, 2012

The New York Times, Veterans Wait for Benefits as Claims Pile Up, Sept. 27, 2012

Wall Street Journal, The Digital Pioneer: Veterans hospitals have already fought this battle—and offer plenty of lessons on how it can be done, Oct. 27, 2009

Journal of Health & Biomedical Law, Medicare coverage policy and decision making, preventive services, and comparative effectiveness research before and after the Affordable Care Act, Jan. 1, 2012

Journal of Corporation Law, Controlling Health Care Costs Through Public, Transparent Processes: The Conflict Between the Morally Right and the Socially Feasible, 2011

Health Affairs, The Veterans Affairs experience: comparative effectiveness research in a large health system, October 2010

Health Services Research and Development Service, Comparative Effectiveness Research — The New Imperative, May 2009

InformationWeek, Health Care: VA Telehealth Lauded As Model Healthcare Program, Jan. 24, 2012

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, FY 2011-2015 strategic plan(accessed on Nov. 26, 2012)

Interview with Paul Sullivan, spokesman for the Veterans for Common Sense, Nov. 8, 2012

Email interview with Mark Ballesteros, spokesman for the Veterans Health Administration, Nov. 23, 2012