Veterans health care ‘guide’ under scrutiny
That Department of Veterans Affairs document with what some call a ‘hurry up and die’ message for injured troops is now going to be scrutinzed, thanks to the attention it’s getting.
Asked about the document, [Sen. Arlen] Specter, a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said it raises “a lot of questions” and that he would call for hearings immediately.
“I think consideration ought to be given right now to suspending it pending hearings,” Specter, D-Pa., told “FOX News Sunday.”
The Dept. of Veterans Affairs assistant secretary, injured vet Tammy Duckworth, put out a disclaimer about the document and revealed some underlying internal disorder in her comments.
Though Duckworth said the document has not been fully vetted, an official directive from July tells VA health practitioners to refer veterans to the document. Duckworth questioned whether that directive had been authorized at the highest levels.
As former HHS nominee Tom Daschle likes to say, details kill.
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Why wasn’t this VA handbook an issue when it was in force under George W. Bush?
It wasn’t in force under the George W. Bush administration. The previous post on this explains (from Jim Towey’s article linked there):
It was first published in 1997 and later promoted as the VA’s preferred living will throughout its vast network of hospitals and nursing homes. After the Bush White House took a look at how this document was treating complex health and moral issues, the VA suspended its use. Unfortunately, under President Obama, the VA has now resuscitated “Your Life, Your Choices.â€