Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) met with a group of veterans in Wisconsin on Friday to discuss reported issues within the Veterans Affairs (VA) system and possible ways to improve medical care for veterans.
Duffy encouraged the veterans to continue to share their experiences with the VA to ensure that the issue stays on the public’s radar until meaningful reforms are in place.
“Because of your stories, the spotlight is squarely on this agency,” Duffy said. “They don’t like it when the heat is on them, but if we want results, we need to keep it on them, and turn it up.”
Duffy recently supported the Veterans’ Health Care Flexibility Act, which would allow veterans to seek healthcare at facilities that are not run by the VA if wait times for care exceed predetermined limits or a VA facility isn’t within 40 miles of a veteran.
Duffy said he would continue to work with his colleagues in Congress to seek opportunities to improve the VA’s scheduling and record keeping systems. Duffy also plans to lead an inquiry into the treatment of veterans in Wisconsin.
A recent VA investigation found that medical records at numerous facilities were misrepresented or falsified to make it appear as though patients were treated within 14 days, which is the VA’s goal. At least 40 veterans allegedly died while awaiting treatment at a facility in Arizona, which had implemented a “secret waiting list” to conceal actual wait times for treatment, according to reports.