>>>
>>> THE
>>> THE ROOT CAUSE WAS THEY WERE PUSHING QUANTITY OVER
QUALITY.
QUALITY.
QUALITY. >> SPEEDS FOR ACCURACY?
>> CORRECT.
>> CORRECT. >> PERVERSE INCENTIVES FOR V.A.
EMPLOYEES TO GET THEIR WORK
DONE FAST.
DONE FAST. IT LEFT VETERANS BURIED UNDER
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DEBT.
CONGRESS DEMANDED ANSWERS, AND
IN THE PROCESS, FOUND ANOTHER
TROUBLING TWIST.
TROUBLING TWIST. HERE IS OUR REPORTER WITH THE
LATEST IN HIS TWO YEAR
INVESTIGATION, A PATTERN OF
DENIAL.
DENIAL.
DENIAL. >> SO, WE WERE CUTTING WOOD.
PUT A LOG ON THE SPLITTER.
>> Reporter: BILL GEORGE WAS
PREPPING FOR WINTER WHEN IT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. >> SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF MY
LUNGS.
LUNGS.
LUNGS. MY
LUNGS. MY HAND GOT CRUSHED IN THE WOOD
SPLITTER.
SPLITTER.
SPLITTER. >> Reporter: AN ARMY VETERAN,
BILL NORMALLY GETS ON HIS CARE
AT THE ST. CLOUD V.A.
BUT, IT WAS CLOSED.
SO, HIS FAMILY RUSHED HIM TO
THE SMALL GROUP MEMORIAL ER.
THEY TOOK ONE LOOK AND PUT HIM
ON AN AMBULANCE TO ANOTHER
MEDICAL CENTER.
MEDICAL CENTER. >> THEY COULD SEE THE TENDONS
WHEN THEY GOT TO THE EMERGENCY
ROOM.
ROOM.
ROOM. >
ROOM. > Reporter: HE WAS X-RAYED,
STITCHED UP, AND RELEASED.
HE NEEDED MULTIPLE SURGERIES TO
REPAIR HIS HAND.
BUT, THE PAIN DID NOT END
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. DESPITE FEDERAL LAW, MANDATING
V.A.
V.A.
V.A. PAY
V.A. PAY FOR MOST VETERAN'S
EMERGENCY BILLS, V.A.
REFUSED TO PAY.
>> IT MAKES NO SENSE.
>> Reporter: ON THIS LETTER,
THE BILL CAME FROM THE HENNEPIN
COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. >> AND BLACK AND WHITE, BUT I
WAS DENIED BECAUSE I WAS NOT
SEEN IN AN EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. IT WAS LIKE IT WAS NOT
REVIEWED.
REVIEWED.
REVIEWED. >> Reporter: LISTEN TO
VETERANS, AND IT IS A STORY.
>> IT IS NOT RIGHT.
>> Reporter: WE'VE HEARD --
>> THE BILL WAS OVER $1200 --
>> Reporter: -- OVER AND OVER.
BACK IN 2017, A KARE 11
INVESTIGATION EXPOSED WHY IN
MINNESOTA AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY THE V.A.
WAS REFUSING TO PAY THE MEDICAL
BILLS FOR VETERANS WHO WENT TO
PRIVATE HOSPITALS IN EMERGENCIES
.
.
. >>
. >> WE
. >> WE WERE TOLD TO PICK AND
CLICK AND GET THEM MOVING.
>> Reporter: WHISTLEBLOWERS
TOLD US THEY WERE PRESSURE TO
PROCESS CLAIMS QUICKLY.
AT THE EXPENSE OF ACCURACY.
>> IS IT FASTER TO JUST DENY?
>> ALWAYS.
>> ALWAYS. >> Reporter: TIM WALZ WAS
WATCHING.
WATCHING.
WATCHING. >> WHEN YOU POINT A STORY LIKE
THAT, I THINK IT WARRANTS
LOOKING AT.
LOOKING AT. >> Reporter: DID YOU FIND ANY
PERVERSE INCENTIVES?
PERVERSE INCENTIVES? >> WE FOUND INCENTIVES THAT
WERE INAPPROPRIATE.
WERE INAPPROPRIATE. >> Reporter: THE OFFICE
RECENTLY RELEASED THIS REPORT.
THE INCENTIVES FOUND WERE
BONUSES, OVERTIME
BONUSES, OVERTIME OPPORTUNITIES, AND TELEWORK
PRIVILEGES.
PRIVILEGES. >> V.A.
>> V.A.
>> V.A. WAS LOOKING TO PROCESS THESE
CLAIMS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND, SET UP INCENTIVES TO DO
SO.
SO.
SO. >>
SO. >> Reporter: THEY EVEN FOUND A
REPORT QUOTING A V.A.
OFFICER STATING, I DO NOT WANT
TO SAY ACCURACY DOES NOT
MATTER, BUT ACCURACY DOES NOT
MATTER.
MATTER.
MATTER. SO IN ESSENCE WHAT THEY WERE
DOING WAS QUANTITY OVER
QUALITY.
QUALITY.
QUALITY. >> SPEED BEFORE ACCURACY.
AS A RESULT THEY MADE A NUMBER
OF MISTAKES WHICH COST VETERANS
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
>> Reporter: SO, HOW OFTEN WERE
CASES MISHANDLED?
CASES MISHANDLED? THE OFFICE AUDITED 6 MONTHS OF
CLAIMS AT THE MINNEAPOLIS AND
ST. CLOUD V.A.'S THEY FOUND 47%
OF THE CLAIMS DENIED WERE
INAPPROPRIATE.
INAPPROPRIATE. IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY,
IT WAS AS HIGH AS 70%.
THEY FOUND 17,400 VETERANS HAD
IMPROPERLY DENIED BILLS,
TOTALING $53.3 MILLION.
REMEMBER, THAT IS IN JUST 6
MONTHS.
MONTHS.
MONTHS. THESE DENIALS TOOK PLACE FOR
MANY YEARS.
MANY YEARS. >> WE BELIEVE THAT IF YOU
EXTRAPOLATE IT OUT, THE NUMBERS
WOULD BE SIMILAR.
>> Reporter: THE INVESTIGATION
DISCOVERED ANOTHER TROUBLING
ASPECT TO THIS PATTERN OF
DENIAL, ER CLAIMS WERE REJECTED
OR PUT ON HOLD, THE V.A.
OFTEN FAILED TO EVEN NOTIFY THE
VETERANS.
VETERANS.
VETERANS. LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS
INVESTIGATORS TOOK, SHOWING
DENIAL LETTERS, PILING UP IN
V.A.
V.A.
V.A. CLAIM CENTERS.
CLAIM CENTERS. SOMETIMES THEY PILED UP FOR
MANY YEARS.
MANY YEARS. THE OFFICE SAYS THAT MEANS
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
VETERANS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO APPEAL THE BAD DENIALS
BEFORE TIME RAN OUT.
>> THE V.A.
JUST IGNORE THE MAIL.
>> Reporter: THE ENTIRE
SITUATION LEAVES VETERANS LIKE
BILL FEELING THE GOVERNMENT
THEY SERVED FAILED THEM.
IN THEIR TIME OF NEED.
>> WHY?
>> WHY?
>> WHY? WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT TO ALL
OF THESE VETERANS?
>> Reporter: V.A.
SAYS IT HAS INSTITUTED REFORMS
AND THAT THEY ARE REOPENING ALL
OF THE CLAIMS OIG IDENTIFIED AS
DONE WRONG, AND WILL BE
NOTIFYING THE AFFECTED VETERANS
AFTER KARE 11 CONTACTED THEM
ON BILL'S CASE, V.A.
CALLED HIM AND HE SAYS THEY
ACKNOWLEDGED THE IMPROPER
DENIAL TELLING HIM HIS CLAIM
HAS BEEN REOPENED.
CONGRESSIONAL SOURCES TELL ME
THEY ARE PLANNING TO HOLD
HEARINGS THIS FALL.
FOR KARE 11 INVESTIGATE,