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Nearly $1B of Medical Malpractice Payouts to Veterans Paid By Federal Funds, Not VA
Thousands of payouts to veterans who have been victims of medical malpractice have recently been uncovered, and the money may not be coming from where you might expect. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not appear to be footing the bill for the payouts, which have tallied close to $1 billion.
The money for each payout comes from the federal treasury, not the VA’s own budget, according to California Congressman Adam Schiff. Mr. Schiff says he believes this may indicate an accountability issue with the department.
A massive database of all federal government payouts from lawsuits and settlements revealed thousands of malpractice cases, involving the VA, which were either lost or settled over the past decade. While a settlement does not necessarily mean the VA is at fault, the cost to taxpayers has been over $892 million nationally from VA hospitals over the past year and a half.