海角大神

President Obama accepted the resignation of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) chief Eric Shinseki Friday, after a follow-up Inspector General report found that misconduct involving creating 鈥渟ecret鈥� waiting lists grossly delaying veterans' care is not limited 鈥渢o a few VA facilities,鈥� Mr. Obama said, 鈥渂ut many across the country.鈥� These are charges that remain under investigation, but have already resulted in the elimination of any performance bonuses for senior VA officials this year.

The president said he made the move 鈥渨ith considerable regret.鈥� Shinseki himself is a veteran, a former four-star general 鈥渨ho left part of himself on the battlefield.鈥� Shinseki rocketed to US notice in the early days of the Iraq war, when he warned that winning would require more troops than then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had claimed. 鈥淗e鈥檚 never been afraid to speak truth to power,鈥� Obama said. 鈥淗is commitment to veterans is unquestioned; his service to our country is exemplary.鈥�

A majority of Americans may be pleased with Shinseki's departure. Preliminary results from a 海角大神 Science Monitor/TIPP poll, started Tuesday, indicated that 54 percent of respondents who were following the story said the VA chief should resign.聽

The interim report from the VA Inspector General released earlier this week found 鈥渟erious鈥� misconduct at a Phoenix, Ariz., VA hospital, which one whistleblower says led to the deaths of 40 veterans. The IG conclusions 鈥� that more than 1,700 veterans waiting for primary care were put on a 鈥渟ecret鈥� list that delayed their care and allowed hospital officials to 鈥渟ignificantly understate鈥� the VA鈥檚 average wait time for new patients 鈥� did not yield good news for Mr. Shinseki, who Friday called the findings 鈥渢otally unacceptable鈥� and a 鈥渂reach of trust鈥� before offering the president his resignation.

Lawmakers and veterans groups who want more accountability are proposing their own fixes for the VA. Here are their top three suggestions:

New leadership at the VA

It looks as if they'll have their way on this point, at least at the very top. Calls throughout the week had increased for the VA chief to step down. Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona 鈥� who once lauded Shinseki鈥檚 willingness to speak truth to power 鈥� joined that chorus 鈥渨ith some reluctance,鈥� adding that if Shinseki did not step down voluntarily, the president should 鈥渇ire him.鈥�

Along with the Republican chairmen of the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, Democrats had also begun to call for Shinseki to step down. Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, up for reelection this year, pointed to a 鈥渟ystemic problem that this leadership has not been addressing.鈥� Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D) of Illinois, who lost both legs in the Iraq war and who served as a VA official, said Friday it was time for her former boss to resign.

Although Shinseki鈥檚 resignation serves to 鈥渃reate a political climax for the story, I think the problem runs a lot deeper than the secretary,鈥� says Philip Carter, director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. The VA chief has had to contend with antiquated computer systems and the 鈥渁ccumulated weight of 10 years of problems,鈥� he added 鈥� one that a resignation alone will not solve.

Obama acknowledged, too, that the decision had political considerations, and that Shinseki had become a 鈥渄istraction鈥� 鈥� a point that Shinseki acknowledged in offering his resignation, the president said.

鈥淚 want someone who鈥檚 spending every minute of every day figuring out, 鈥楬ave we called every single veteran that鈥檚 waiting? Have we fixed the system? Do we have all the technology we need?鈥� 鈥�

In the meantime, Sloan Gibson, a former infantryman and president of the USO who has been deputy secretary at the VA for three months, will serve as acting head of the VA during the search for a new chief.聽

Offer private health care for veterans

US lawmakers are now proposing legislation to let veterans waiting more than 30 days for an appointment to seek private care, paid for by the VA.

Rep. Jeff Miller聽(R) of Florida, who chairs the House Veterans Affairs committee, said the legislation is designed as an 鈥渆mergency step to ensure veterans who may have fallen victim to appointment wait-time schemes or delays in care get the medical treatment they need.鈥�

Senator McCain, too, is working with three other GOP senators to draft legislation to allow vets access to care outside the traditional VA system. 鈥淟et鈥檚 let our veterans choose the health care that they need and want the most, and not have to be bound to just going to the VA.鈥�

The VA already offers access to private care for some rural veterans, but the problem with these bills, Mr. Carter says, is that the VA provides 鈥渞eally good care unmatched in the private sector.鈥澛�

Veterans overwhelming say that once they are in the VA system, they are exceedingly satisfied with the care. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not clear the private sector has the capacity or the capability to provide the care the VA does 鈥� or that vets will get better or faster care on the private market,鈥� Carter says.聽

There is also the issue of consistency and coordination. In the VA system, the treating physicians and therapists can see the notes and prescriptions of every other doctor seen by the veteran, he notes. 鈥淲hen you start sending vets out on an a la carte basis,鈥� Carter adds, 鈥渢here is not that continuity of care.鈥�

Abolish the VA

Perhaps, some vets say, the VA cannot be fixed at all. One group would like to eliminate the VA altogether and instead place responsibility for caring for veterans under the Affordable Care Act.聽

Veterans Against the Veterans Administration (VAVA) founder Jerome Almond says the $160 billion annual VA budget could be better used to accomplish the VA鈥檚 primary mission of serving the vets, calling the VA a 鈥渕edical gulag system.鈥澛�

The VAVA鈥檚 proposals are bold, but lacking in details. The group calls on tech companies like Apple and Google to work with private insurance companies 鈥渢o create an efficient compensation apparatus鈥� and for all education benefits, including the GI Bill, 鈥渢o be handled by the colleges and universities instead of the VA.鈥� 聽

It鈥檚 not likely to happen. 鈥淭he VA represents the nation鈥檚 brick and mortar commitment to its vets,鈥� Carter says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no chance it鈥檒l ever make it through Congress.鈥�