Justice Department Wanted to Lock Up Doctor, VA Contractor Sent Him Patients?

The next time you hear any politician talk about outsourcing veterans care instead of making sure the VA works for all veterans, remember this story.

VA contractor sent patients to Tampa doctor as prosecutors tried to send him to prison 
Tampa Bay Times
Patty Ryan, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, August 22, 2015

Dr. Chuma Osuji, indicted last year, admits in court papers that he prescribed controlled pain medications while he was barred from doing so by the DEA. Special to the Times

TAMPA — A Department of Veterans Affairs contractor sent dozens of veterans to consult with a Tampa doctor about disability claims this year, even as the Justice Department was trying to take away the doctor's license and send him to prison.

After inquiries by the Tampa Bay Times, the VA plans to take a fresh look at the claims of 57 veterans seen by Dr. Chuma Osuji "to ensure the veterans were accurately evaluated," said Karen Collins, public affairs officer at James A. Haley Hospital and Clinics.

The contractor, Veterans Evaluation Services, said a federal data bank that is the gold standard for doctor background checks makes no mention of criminal charges against Osuji. It doesn't include pending cases.

The 52-year-old doctor, indicted last year, admits in court papers that he prescribed controlled pain medications while he was barred from doing so by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

He was found guilty in July and is scheduled to be sentenced in October. The crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. On June 26, he signed a plea agreement that calls for forfeiture of his medical license.

If the stakes that day were high for Osuji, they were also high for Mike Evans, 62, a retired Army sergeant and prostate cancer survivor who visited Osuji's Gandy Boulevard clinic on June 26.

The doctor's subsequent report led the VA to propose cutting the veteran's monthly compensation from $3,172 to $579, covering diabetes and tinnitus but not cancer.
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VES AWARDED VA CONTRACT TO START NEW YEAR
On December 28, 2012, VES was awarded contract number VA798-13-D-0002 by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The five-year contract is funded under Public Law 108-183. VES will provide Medical Disability Examinations for the following Veterans Benefit Administration Regional Offices: Columbus, Ohio; Waco, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; Lincoln, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; Honolulu, Hawaii; Denver, Colorado; and Indianapolis, Indiana.

VES previously served the same Regional Offices for four-years with great success. The new contract will commence on January 1st, 2013. “We are honored that the VA has chosen our company to continue servicing the Veteran community,” says VES President, Travis Fitzpatrick. “We take great pride in our role in the Medical Disability process and expediting the claims of our nation’s heroes who have given so much for our country.”

What was it worth?

The Department of Veterans Affairs awarded this $171,481,668 contract to Veterans Evaluation Services Inc. for Evaluation and Screening.

The contract was signed on December 28, 2012 and will end on December 31, 2017.