By Larry Dandridge
After the President fired 17 U.S. Department Inspector Generals, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Inspector General (IG), without giving the legally required 30-day notice, many veterans may wonder if the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is still operating. The answer is “Yes.”
Two of the many good things that the VA OIG does include issuing Crime and Fraud Alerts and providing resources to help veterans and VA employees identify, report, and prevent fraud.
Fraud Alert: Substance use disorder treatment scams
According to the VA OIG’s Fraud Alert, December 17, 2024, “Fraud Alert: Substance Use Disorder Treatment Scams,” https://bit.ly/4iKJ7pq, the VA OIG is investigating allegations that certain drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities or treatment centers are attempting to exploit veterans with substance use disorders for profit through various unethical and illegal practices. Recruiters target veterans to use these facilities, often offering incentives and misrepresenting the services. The facilities then excessively bill the VA for unnecessary or unrendered treatment. Veterans and VA personnel can help by identifying and reporting these scams.
Veterans beware
Veterans should beware of anyone encouraging them to go to a specific (often out-of-state) facility when a closer VA or community option is preferred, especially if the veteran (or their friends or relatives) are being offered incentives like plane tickets, cash, gift cards, housing, or scholarships.
Report scams, fraud, waste, abuse to VA OIG
VA employees, veterans, and veteran family members should report suspected wrongdoing to the VA OIG if they learn that veterans have attended a facility but have not received promised services, such as counseling. VA employees and contractors should also report any instances in which they are pressured to circumvent procedures to place, admit, or extend veterans’ treatments.
Submit complaints to VA OIG by going to www.vaoig.gov/hotline, phoning 800-488-8244, or writing to the VA Inspector General Hotline (53H), 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420. The VA OIG FAX is 202-495-5861.
Anyone can download a “BE A VOICE FOR VETERANS REPORT WRONGDOING poster at https://bit.ly/4iDH32p.
That poster encourages anyone to report:
- Crimes and violations of rules/regulations.
- Mismanagement or a gross waste of funds.
- Abuse of authority.
- Risks to patients, employees, and property.
VA OIG hotline
According to the VA OIG webpage (https://bit.ly/4i1nwYF), the OIG hotline is not a primary crisis response line. If you are a veteran in crisis or know of someone who needs immediate support, contact the VA’s Veterans Crisis Line or visithttps://www.veteranscrisisline.net/. If you are a veteran in crisis, contact the VA’s CRISIS HOTLINE at 988 and press 1 or dial 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 or chat online or text 838255.
The VA OIG mission
The OIG oversees the VA’s programs and operations and is legally authorized to access all VA records. VA employees who contact the OIG hotline may provide the OIG with medical and other VA records without violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or other privacy laws.
However, such information should be transmitted securely by registered mail, encrypted or password-protected email provided by an OIG employee, or secure fax. VA employees should not send personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), or other VA-sensitive information using the OIG web forms.
The OIG hotline receives, screens, and determines the disposition of complaints concerning veterans or VA-related potentially unlawful activity or violations, such as fraud, waste, abuse, and gross mismanagement of VA programs.
The OIG has transitioned to web forms only for complaints submitted in electronic format; this change means that the OIG no longer accepts free-form email submissions except when OIG hotline staff specifically direct such submissions to ensure the secure transmission of protected information.
Helpful resources
The VA OIG Fraud Alert, dated Dec. 17, 2024, titled “Fraud Alert: Substance Use Disorder Treatment Scams,” https://bit.ly/4iKJ7pq, also has links to the following three helpful resources.
1. Locate a VA Substance Use Disorder Program: The VA’s Fraud Alert: Substance Use Disorder Treatment Scams has a link to the VA’s Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Program webpage https://www.va.gov/directory/guide/SUD.asp. Veterans can click on a state’s initials to view all Specialized SUD Programs in that state. VA Medical Centers without a specific SUD Program do offer SUD Treatment. Contact your local VA Medical Center and ask for the Mental Health clinic. Go to the VA’s locations finder at https://www.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp to find information on the facility and key staff within 1,969VA facilities. Many vet centers and VA community-based Outpatient clinics also offer SUD treatment. Many vet centers and VA community-based Outpatient clinics also offer SUD treatment.
2. Locating (non-VA) treatment facilities for mental and substance use disorders in the United States and its territories: To search for SUD treatment outside of the VA, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA’s) treatment locator: https://bit.ly/4iKJsbG. Call the facility before your visit to ensure they provide the services needed. This site can be filtered by facility types, including 1) Substances Abuse, 2) Mental Health, 3) Health Care Centers, 4) Buprenorphine Practitioners, and 5) Opioid Treatment Programs.
3. Make the Connection — Veteran Stories of Help and Hope: This site is found at https://www.maketheconnection.net and includes 1) Stories, Videos, and Podcasts that provide helpful information and local mental health resources; 2) Life events like the death of family and friends, homelessness, preparing for deployment, and more; 3) Signs and symptoms that make daily life difficult, like alcohol/drug abuse, anger, chronic pain, confusion, eating problems, hopelessness, flashbacks, gambling, headaches, sleeplessness, and more; and 4) Mental health conditions like PTSD, Substance Abuse, Bipolar, Depression, Anxiety, Military Sexual Disorder effects, TBI effects, and more.
The bottom line
The VA OIG is still doing vital work under Acting VA IG David Case. If you suspect drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities or treatment centers are attempting to exploit veterans with substance use disorders (SUD) or other health conditions for profit through unethical and illegal practices, report it to the VA OIG.
The past inspectors general for the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and six other federal agency watchdogs fired by the President days after he took office have filed a lawsuit against the president and his administration to regain their jobs.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at his local VA Hospital, a Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the past VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association and Military Officer Association Chapters. Larry is also the author of the award-winning Blades of Thunder (Book One) and a contributing freelance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.
