United States
The Hotline accepts tips or complaints that, on a select basis, result in reviews of: • VA-related criminal activity • Systemic patient safety issues • Gross mismanagement or waste of VA resources • Misconduct by senior VA officials The VA OIG investigates substantial allegations of whistleblower reprisal against employees of VA contractors, grantees, subgrantees, and personal services subcontractors. The VA OIG reports substantiated allegations of reprisal to the employer and VA for corrective action.
The Hotline does not accept complaints that are unrelated to programs and operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs nor that are addressed in another legal or administrative forum: TYPE OF COMPLAINT WHO SHOULD YOU CONTACT Claim for VA disability and pension benefits, and ratings, appeals, or home loan issues Veterans Benefits Administration (1-800-827-1000) Claim for VA education benefits Veterans Benefits Administration (1-888-442-4551) Patient health care dispute Patient Advocate at your local VA medical facility Tort claim or other legal issue/case/claim Local VA Regional Counsel office (202-461-4900) VA billing issues - Compliance and Business Integrity 1-866-842-4357 Litigation matters Private counsel; applicable court Employee grievances, unfair labor practices, union matters Local union representative, Federal Labor Relations Authority VA employee whistleblower retaliation issues U.S. Office of Special Counsel (1-800-872-9855) Other VA employee whistleblower issues and concerns about VA employee VA Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection performance and accountability (855-429-6669) or (202-461-4119) Whistleblower disclosures not related to the VA U.S. Office of Special Counsel (1-800-872-9855) Discrimination and EEO complaints for VA employees, former VA employees, VA Office of Resolution Management (1-888-566-3982) and applicants for VA positions Discrimination and complaints related to the Uniformed Services Employment U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel Personnel actions/adverse action appeals/MSPB matters U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board Disagreement with law or other political dispute Your elected legislative official
Additional Measures Would Better Protect Borrowers from Risks Associated with Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loans
As a streamlined way to reduce interest rates on VA-guaranteed mortgages, interest rate reduction refinance loans (IRRRLs) are popular with veterans, especially when interest rates are low. In fiscal year (FY) 2020, VA reported a 598 percent increase in the number of these loans from the previous...
Deficiencies in Echocardiogram Interpretation Timeliness, Facility Policies, Patient Safety Reporting, and Oversight at the Fayetteville VA Coastal Health Care System in North Carolina
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) assessed an allegation and reviewed processes related to admission and treatment of patients who needed services that were unavailable at the Fayetteville VA Coastal Health Care System (facility).The OIG did not substantiate that the chief of medicine forced...
Financial Efficiency Inspection of the VA Milwaukee Healthcare System
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this inspection to assess the VA Milwaukee Healthcare System’s oversight and stewardship of funds and to identify potential cost efficiencies. The review assessed the following financial activities and administrative processes to determine whether...
Inconsistent Disability Benefits Questionnaires May Lead to Inaccurate Mental Competency Determinations
While assessing an anonymous allegation of wrongdoing involving two fiduciaries, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) discovered inconsistencies in the disability benefits questionnaires the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) uses to elicit medical professionals’ assessments of veterans’...
Nonadherence to Requirements for Processing Gulf War Illness Claims Led to Premature Decisions
A large population of veterans could be eligible for compensation for Gulf War illness, which refers to a group of unexplained or ill defined chronic symptoms found in veterans deployed to the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG)...
Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Reno
This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program report describes the results of a focused evaluation of the inpatient and outpatient care provided at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System, which includes the Ioannis A. Lougaris VA Medical Center and multiple...
Opportunities Exist to Improve the Accuracy of Veterans' Emergency Housing Assistance and Permanent Housing Placement Data
VHA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program helps veterans and their families who are experiencing homelessness and those at imminent risk of homelessness by providing outreach, case management services, assistance obtaining other public benefits, and temporary financial assistance...
VHA Faces Challenges Implementing the Appeals Modernization Act
The Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) of 2017 charged VA with establishing a new process for more quickly and transparently reviewing benefit claims decisions with which veterans disagree.VA implemented the AMA in 2019, and though it largely focuses on Veterans Benefits Administration benefits...
Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Erie VA Medical Center in Pennsylvania
This Office of Inspector General Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program report describes the results of a focused evaluation of the inpatient and outpatient care provided at the Erie VA Medical Center and associated outpatient clinics in Ohio and Pennsylvania. This evaluation focused on five...