VA owes FL hospitals $134 million for unpaid bills

After performing a July cataract surgery on a veteran participating in the VA's Veterans Choice program, Dr. Lawrence Goldberg of St. Petersburg is still waiting for the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay up. "A couple of months would be fine, but this is getting kind of ridiculous," Dr. Goldberg said. Money isn't the only problem. The Veterans Choice program was born to helps veterans get in to see private sector doctors and to reduce waiting times to schedule appointments. Heath Net, which runs the Veterans Choice program, requires voluminous documentation, Goldberg said.