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Department of Veterans Affairs Extortion has reportedly occurred with dubious disability claims, including tens of millions of dollars worth of fraud, as claims for easily treated illnesses have skyrocketed.
Claim According to government data, there has been rapid growth in various categories in the last two and a half decades recipient Washington PostEven the overall population of veterans declined by about 10 million during that time period.
About 556,000 pre-service member receive disability benefits for eczema, 332,000 receive payments for hemorrhoids, 110,000 are eligible for benign skin growths, while 81,000 receive payments for acne, according to the investigation.
Last year, got paid for 659,335 sleep apneaA commonly treated condition, about 11 times the figure did so in 2009. The agency now typically pays vets with the condition more than those who had a leg amputation below the knee due to combat, according to the outlet.
These numbers dwarf the number of payouts going out to veterans for more obviously related injuries, which include about 11,000 receiving benefits for severe or penetrating brain injuries, or fewer than 1,700 receiving benefits for losing limbs during wars. Iraq And afghanistan,
According to the investigation, in veterans circles, it is not uncommon for people to encourage people to claim as many disabilities as possible, and the department pays for thousands of veterans’ jock itch, toe nail fungus, hair loss treatment and other issues that clearly do not hinder employment.
Since 2001, the number of disability claims according to the Wounded Veteran has doubled, as has the number of veterans claiming a 100 percent disability rating.
Over that period, the number of veterans claiming payments for tinnitus has increased more than 20 times, while those checks for hay fever have increased by a factor of 22.
Beyond just claims for common illnesses, some veterans have engaged in fraudulent efforts, including an Army vet who was indicted last year for conspiring to bilge the government out of $1.1 million by pretending to be paralyzed, only to spend some of the funds on Caribbean vacations and gambling in Las Vegas.
The VA has uncovered at least 70 such fraud schemes since 2017.
All told, the VA is on track to spend $193 billion this year on disability claims, Washington Post Found, more than the cost of running an entire army.
Observers say factors influencing the spiking number of claims include laws like the 2022 PACT Act, which made it easier to obtain both legitimate benefits tied to exposure to toxic hazards, as well as defrauding customers.
Despite estimates such as the 2018 congressional budget that found eliminating disability payments for common illnesses could save $33 billion over a decade, attempts to enact anything resembling a cut to benefits for veterans have often proven to be a political non-starter.
In July, the Trump administration away from the previous plan to cut 83,000 workers at the agency amid an outcry from veterans groups.
A VA spokesperson said in response to the reporting, “Our message to the out-of-touch liberal activists who peddled this garbage story is simple: America’s veterans earned their VA benefits, and it should be easier—than it is for them—to get them.”
“Under President Trump, we’re reforming the VA, so it’s faster and more convenient for veterans to get what our nation owes them.”