Earlier in 2014, Cable News Network (“CNN”) issued a series of articles on the extended delays for United States veterans to be seen in the Veterans Affairs health care system. CNN boldly stated that hospital delays were “killing war veterans.” That following April, CNN broke the news that United States veterans were not only dying as they waited for health care appointments, but secret waiting lists and falsified records were also being utilized to hide the thousands of veterans forced to wait months to see a physician. The breaking news launched multiple federal investigations, including an internal investigation by Veterans Affairs (“VA”), as well as investigations by Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. As the year comes to a close, this article examines the progress, or lack thereof, of the Veterans Affairs Administration and addresses what the future of health care looks like for our war heroes.
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