A veterans advocacy group is calling on Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General to look into VA oversight of state-run veterans homes due to an alarmingly high number of COVID-19 deaths at the facilities.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America issued the call, which was sparked by a recent investigative news piece by ProPublica that outlined a reportedly lax inspection regime at the homes, on Wednesday.
Jeremy Butler, IAVA CEO, said in a news release that service members are trained to lead from the front and take responsibility in tough times.
“We know that VA does not own this entire crisis, but the department appears to be bending over backwards to wash its hands of this when it has a very important and clear leadership role in keeping veterans safe in state-run homes,” he said.
The ProPublica report outlined understaffing and differences in the rigor of inspections of state-run soldiers' homes between those done by the VA and those performed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), including that VA identifies far fewer deficiencies in care than those done by CMS.
While the VA does not directly manage the nearly 150 state-run homes that care for more than 20,000 veterans, it is responsible for regularly inspecting the facilities and funding care. Four of the homes have had 50 or more deaths, and 73 deaths from the coronavirus occurred at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home in Massachusetts alone. Union officials argue staffing shortages and mismanagement by the home is the cause of the spread of COVID-19 at the facility.
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Butler said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie should take the lead on the issue and that both Congress and the VA Inspector General “should leave no stone unturned in its oversight of the tragedy.”
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“These are strong accusations, that if true, should bring very tough consequences,” added Butler. “To care for those who have borne the battle is a paramount responsibility, and VA should be using all the tools in its toolbox to carry out that duty regardless of whether those veterans are in federal or state-run facilities.