Department of Veteran Affairs Pays Out More Than $800M for Malpractice

An analysis shows that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has paid out about $845 million in malpractice cases during the past 10 years.

Reporters for Cox Media Group analyzed federal treasury data and found taxpayers spent more than $800 million paying 4,426 veterans and their family members who brought malpractice claims against the VA medical system since 2003.

In 2012, a total of 454 financial settlements and awards added up to $98.3 million.

VA officials say they manage one of the nation’s largest medical networks, and the number of malpractice claims is relatively low. In 2012, the VA treated more than 6.3 million veterans and had 1,544 claims filed.

The numbers were reported Wednesday by The Dayton Daily News and other Cox Media Group outlets.