Boxes of Veterans Medical Claims Uncovered in New VA Scandal

The Virginia Department of Veterans Services is under fire for allegedly mishandling records.

The state attorney general is launching a criminal investigation after authorities found dozens of boxes containing sensitive patient information in a former employee's storage unit.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports the boxes contain several years worth of claims and medical records of hundreds of veterans.

The VA's failure to serve veterans in a timely manner has been exposed as an ongoing problem over the past few years.

"In the past, the VA created hidden wait lists of veterans waiting to see a doctor, so it's more than believable they are now hiding benefits applications in storage units," said Hyrum Palmer, Virginia deputy state director for Concerned Veterans for America (CVA).

"The VA needs to be held accountable and fire bad employees like this whose actions put the lives of veterans at risk. It's long past the time to implement reforms that would prevent these type of reckless acts from ever taking place," Palmer continued.

CVA reports that this past June, authorities discovered that more than 24,000 veterans were misdiagnosed due to poor management.