When reporters hype the VA backlog it is wrong

This is irresponsible reporting by Tim Steller of the Arizona Daily Star. There is no other way to put it. First he starts with getting people to have their blood boil that this veteran was wounded and is waiting to have his wound taken care of in the massive backlog. Once he accomplished that, later in the article this veteran's case was cleared up having nothing to do with the backlog of claims since he has been taken care of in the past by the VA and is in fact getting disability.

So what's the problem? He had to wait a month for the VA doctor to clear him to see an outside doctor.

In Roethle's case, he has already qualified for disability and is living on the payments.

His problem is that he's requested to have the surgery performed by a non-VA surgeon. A California group called Rebuilding America's Warriors has arranged for a specialist in facial plastic surgery, Dr. Salvatore Lettieri in Phoenix, to perform the surgery, but Roethle first needs the OK from his VA physician in Tucson.

About a month after his doctor was presented with the request, he still has no answer.
read more here

In an emergency, if the VA doctors have to send a veteran to an outside specialist, they can usually do it pretty fast. If it is the choice of a veteran to see someone outside the VA, that is not the same as being denied treatment from the VA. Plain and simple. My husband is usually taken care of by the VA but once in a while he does have to see a specialist. The appointment comes pretty fast and is based on what is medically necessary not just wanted.