Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Monday, February 01, 2016

Veteran Who Became Face of VA Wait-Times Scandal Dies of Cancer

Less than two years after disabled Army veteran Barry Coates told a House committee, "I stand before you terminally ill," the South Carolina man is dead from the cancer that went undetected by VA doctors for nearly a year.

Coates, only 46 when he died on Jan. 23, became the face of the Veterans Affairs Department wait-time scandal -- in which patients whose appointments were put off by a system unable to handle the volume of men and women needing its services.

"It is likely too late for me," he told the House Veterans Affairs Committee during an April 9, 2014 hearing. "The gross negligence of my ongoing problems and crippling back log epidemic of the VA medical system has not only handed me a death sentence but ruined the quality of my life I have for the meantime."

More

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

And the others are now homeless.

Anonymous said...

And too many jobless.

Anonymous said...

Way to go VA!!! Just shovel it all under that big rug and carry on.

Well folks...it would appear we will have to find another mishandled veteran to take his place as a public example.

Sadly, it Will not be hard. In fact I know the guy to fill the job.

He has PTSD but is very well spoken.

What do you think???

Anonymous said...

This country have all these charitable organization for the V.A. This man didn't have to die. This country have plenty of millionaires and billionaires that can help the V.A. This man didn't have to die. The federal government could have helped the V.A. This man didn't have to die. Most of all, this man couldn't even receive a cost of living increase in 2016 because so many rich, the famous, and political representative are ripping all the benefits that's supposed to go to the Veterans on their own personal and GREEDY needs. That's how the real charitable organization works. They pay themselves, their friends, their Board members, their Trusties, etc, etc, and etc first. And, the Veterans in this country get crumbs. If your a veteran and not receiving exactly 100% disability, you got NOTHING coming. This country is shameful.

Anonymous said...

THIS, THIS is America's shame. Take care of everybody, but our veterans!?! THIS is a disgrace.