Today, in the wake of the ongoing investigation of scheduling malfeasance at several VA hospitals, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned during a meeting with President Obama.The VA’s acting inspector general released a report this week that detailed noncompliance and mismanagement at the Phoenix, AZ VA hospital based on allegations of the same.
According to the report, officials at the Phoenix facility and others (42 are under investigation) failed to place nearly 2,000 patients on the official waiting list for care in order to improve their wait time statistics. Instead, these patients were placed on “alternate” lists with wait times as much as five times longer than reported.
Before his resignation, Shinseki ordered that those left off of the official waiting list receive immediate care. The final report is expected to be released in August.
President Obama has yet to name a successor to Shinseki’s position but the new Secretary will have a great deal on his or her plate. It is not unreasonable to expect some substantial long-term changes to the VA’s structure, though it is too early to anticipate what those changes may entail. It is also difficult to speculate on the impact of the VA’s turmoil on the healthcare vendors who provide equipment and nursing staff to VA facilities as well as the impact, if any, on agencies that provide outside care through VA contracts. However, healthcare vendors working with the VA – especially in states that are under investigation – would be wise to prepare for potentially slower payments due to system resources being focused on the investigation.
If your healthcare company is receiving delayed payments on VA contracts, healthcare factoring can replenish your working capital and close the cash flow gap. Contact PRN Funding today to learn more about healthcare factoring for your business and to get started.
