CNN's '40 Veterans Died Waiting' at Phoenix VA
CNN reported that at least 40 veterans died waiting for appointments at the Phoenix VA, many while on a secret wait list, a figure widely repeated as 40 deaths caused by delays.
The causal '40 deaths' framing intensified criticism of the Obama administration's VA.
What was reported
CNN reported that at least 40 veterans died waiting for appointments at the Phoenix VA, many while on a secret wait list, a figure widely repeated as 40 deaths caused by delays.
What actually happened
The secret wait lists were real, and the VA inspector general confirmed staff manipulated wait times. But the IG's August 2014 report found 28 veterans with clinically significant delays, six of whom died, and said it could not conclusively link any of the deaths to the delays. CNN's own follow-up led with the IG's finding that deaths could not be tied to the waits; whistleblowers argued the report had been softened.
The proof
The VA Office of Inspector General's August 26, 2014 report could not conclusively tie the deaths to wait-time delays.
The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:
CNN's '40 Veterans Died Waiting' at Phoenix VA — Unproven. The VA Office of Inspector General's August 26, 2014 report could not conclusively tie the deaths to wait-time delays. Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/cnn-phoenix-va-40-veterans-died-waiting/
Original reporting
- CNN: A fatal wait: Veterans languish and die on a VA hospital's secret listhttps://www.cnn.com/2014/04/23/health/veterans-dying-health-care-delays/index.html
Corrections, findings & records
- CNN: IG report cannot conclusively link deaths to delayshttps://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/26/us/va-inspector-general-report
- NPR: Report finds no proof that delays in care caused veterans' deathshttps://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/08/26/343488338/report-finds-no-proof-that-delays-in-care-caused-veterans-deaths
Archived copies
Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.
- Archived copy: CNN: A fatal wait: Veterans languish and die on a VA hospital's secret listhttps://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.cnn.com/2014/04/23/health/veterans-dying-health-care-delays/index.html