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089547 1 (1976-08-10)

handle is hein.gao/gaobacvor0001 and id is 1 raw text is: UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE 0 W WASHINGTON, DC 20548 HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION AlM, 1 0 1976 Mr. Wallace E. Busbee Director, Internal Audit Service Veterans Administration Dear Mr. Busbee In September 1975, the General Accounting Office initiated a survey of the Veterans Administration (VA) outpatient medical and dental programs ,, In the subsequent months survey work was performed at several locations including the VA central office, the Boston, Brooklyn, and Denver VA hospitals, and the Boston and Brooklyn VA independent outpatient clinics. Because of several recent developments impacting on our staff resources, we have-dis- continued our current survey in this area. However, we wish to bring to VA's attention some pertinent survey observations related to-dental treatment being provided non-service-connected veterans on an outpatient basis. We share the concern of VA, as expressed in a VA Chief Medical Director's Letter, dated May 17, 1976 (IL 10-76-25), regarding the significant growth since 1972 in VA's ambulatory care workload, particularly in the non-service- (onnected category, and the effect continued growth in this area might have on the overall quality of health care for veterans In this regard, Chapter 17 of title 38 U.S.C. entitles hospitalized veterans to inpatient dental treatment regardless of whether their dental conditions are service-connected. Outpatient dental treatment, however, is generally limited by 38 U.S.C. 612 to veterans with either service-connected dental conditions or dental conditions adjunct to a service-connected medical condition. The law does not authorize outpatient dental treatment for most veterans with non-service-connected dental conditions or to complete inpatient dental treatment of non-service-connected dental conditions. At the Brooklyn, Boston, and Denver VA Hospitals, we reviewed a number of dental records to determine the extent of outpatient dental care given to veterans with non-service-connected dental problems. Our observations at each hospital are summarized below. BROOKLYN VA HOSPITAL According to the chief of dental service, Brooklyn VA Hospital, each of 23 cases reviewed required dental care to fully treat the veteran's medical condition. In 22 of the 23 cases dental treatment had been started on an inpatient basis and continued on an outpatient basis. One veteran was treated only as an inpatient.

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