
The Department of Veterans Affairs says problems with its Veterans Crisis Line are fixed, but as of two weeks ago, the VA inspector general had found that nearly a third of calls to the hot line were bounced to back-up centers run by an outside contractor.
The rollover calls happen when phone lines are busy, leading to waits of 30 minutes or more.
Approximately 20 veterans take their lives each day and Rep. Phil Roe, a physician who chairs the House committee on Veterans Affairs, questions whether the VA intends to fully implement needed reforms.