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Email: VA Doctors Have Nothing To Do At Work

Patrick Howley Political Reporter
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Doctors at the Philadelphia Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office are sitting around with nothing to do, despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of U.S. veterans continue to wait for medical appointments.

“Urgent! Need work for In-house Physicians,” wrote the Office’s assistant veterans service center manager Ameen Khabir in the subject line of a June 19 email to colleagues, which he placed on “High” importance. The Regional Office is responsible for processing compensation, benefits, employment and insurance claims. More than 276,000 veteran benefit claims across the country are still backlogged, having been waiting for more than 125 days. Wait times in Philadelphia reached 309 days in March of this year.

So what was the problem in Philadelphia? As of 1:41 p.m., the Office’s in-house doctors just had nothing to do. Here’s the email, obtained by The Daily Caller:

“Good Afternoon,

Our In-house physicians are out of work.  All employees currently reviewing and processing claims should be on the lookout for any cases that would be appropriate to refer to our In-house physicians for medical opinions, consultations, any possible ACE examination etc.  We need work for them ASAP.

Thanks,

Ameen A. Khabir”