Staffers at VA health care facilities in more than one state have come forward to describe delays in patient care and allege that long waiting times were covered up with creative bookkeeping. A former doctor at a VA hospital in Arizona says that some deaths might be attributable to delays in care.
There are nearly 22 million U.S. military veterans, and the Department of Veterans Affairs provides health care to millions of them via the Veterans Health Administration, with services ranging from drug counseling to cancer screening to major surgery at 1,700 facilities nationwide. Nearly 6 million patients received health care from VA hospitals and clinics in 2013.
But the recent allegations about doctored waiting lists and "cooked books" have raised questions about the quality of that care. NBC News is asking for your help to determine whether delays in patient care were isolated instances or symptoms of a larger problem.
Have you or a family member experienced significant delays in getting doctor appointments, medical procedures from VA clinics and hospitals? Have you or a family member experienced any health problems because of delays in receiving care? Or has the care from VA facilities been prompt and effective? Have you moved from one part of the country to another and experienced a difference in the quality of care? Has the quality changed over time?
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