VA secretary claims Disney doesn't measure wait times so the VA shouldn't either
It can take months for veterans to actually receive health care from the VA, but Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald wants people to focus on the destination, not the journey. "When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or what's important?" McDonald asked Monday, apparently entirely serious. "What's important is, what's your satisfaction with the experience? And what I would like to move to, eventually, is that kind of measure."
The VA has been heavily criticized for failing to provide timely care to patients (or even accurate information about said care). McDonald has also brushed aside "create date" measures, which gauge a vet's wait time by counting the days since he or she first requested care, saying "create dates" aren't a "valid measure" of a patient's experience.
McDonald might be missing one glaring difference between waiting for health care and waiting to get on the Matterhorn Bobsleds, though: People don't typically die queuing for amusement park rides.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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