Dive Brief:
- The Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald publicly apologized Tuesday after causing an uproar with his comparison of long waits for veterans' medical care to long waits for Disneyland theme park attractions.
- McDonald had made the comment to reporters Monday while making the case that wait times should not be the system's measure for success, but rather veterans’ satisfaction with their healthcare, The Associated Press reports.
- Emotional responses poured forth from the public and from lawmakers, with Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. going so far as to call for McDonald's resignation.
Dive Insight:
McDonald said wait times have remained his top priority since he took the helm of the Department of Veterans Affairs in July 2014, and that he never meant to imply that he doesn't take the VA's mission seriously.
The outcry underscores the public's continued frustration regarding veterans' lack of timely access to care since the wait time scandal first broke in 2014, and an investigation revealed that dozens of veterans had died while waiting for appointments.
"This is not make-believe. This is not Disneyland, or Wonderland, for that matter," the AP quoted House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. "Veterans have died waiting in line for their care."
The VA announced several initiatives this year aimed at addressing the issue, including an appointment request app, scheduling software and the Veterans Choice program, which allows veterans to seek care outside the VA system under qualifying circumstances.