Report: VA office in Kansas manipulated data on appeals

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A government review shows a Veterans Affairs regional office in Kansas listed erroneous medical conditions for three dozen patients who filed appeals after having their claims rejected.

In a report released Tuesday, the VA's inspector general's office says management instructed staff at the Wichita facility to enter the same "placeholder" diagnostic code for a specific bone infection on 36 appeal claims. None of the patients had the listed condition.

Investigators found that a backlog of mail may have contributed to the erroneous records. They found the claim assistants weren't trained on how to enter accurate patient conditions into the computer system.

The VA did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment.

A veterans' advocacy group says data manipulation has been a national problem recently amid greater scrutiny of the VA.