The Inspector General report reveals that the Veterans Health Administration made over 425,000 duplicate payments from Jan. 1, 2017 to March 31, 2021, costing taxpayers more than $307 million.
Key Takeaways:
- The Veterans Health Administration made 425,000 duplicate payments costing taxpayers $307 million.
- The VA did not have a process in place to identify or manage these duplicate payments.
- The Inspector General recommends the VA work with Medicare to share data and clean up administrative processes.
The VA’s Responsibility to Pay for Community Care
The Veterans Health Administration is responsible for paying for community care for veterans who are eligible for both VHA and Medicare benefits. However, the VA’s lack of accounting controls has resulted in $307 million worth of duplicate payments. According to the Inspector General report, the VA never conducted a review to identify past instances of duplicate payments.
Lack of Accounting Controls
The VA, which receives $52.9 billion in funding, should have implemented the accounting controls that any private sector business would have in place to avoid these problems. The Inspector General report notes that the VA did not have a process in place to identify or manage duplicate payments, which have added up quickly over the span of 4 years.
Recommendations to Improve the VA’s Process
In response to the report, the Inspector General recommends the VA work with Medicare to share data about payments, identify payments that are likely to be duplicated, and clean up administrative processes before care is provided. This will ensure that veterans receive the care they deserve without the burden of duplicate payments.
FAQ:
Q: Who is responsible for paying for community care for veterans?
A: The Veterans Health Administration is responsible for paying for community care for veterans who are eligible for both VHA and Medicare benefits.
Q: How much did the duplicate payments cost taxpayers?
A: The duplicate payments cost taxpayers more than $307 million.
Q: What caused the duplicate payments?
A: The VA did not have a process in place to identify or manage these duplicate payments, which caused the problem.
Q: What is the Inspector General’s recommendation to improve the VA’s process?
A: The Inspector General recommends the VA work with Medicare to share data about payments, identify payments that are likely to be duplicated, and clean up administrative processes before care is provided.
