A Hawaii Hospital Told A Veteran The VA Wouldn’t Cover His Surgery. The VA Disagrees … Former Army Sgt. Patrick Malone’s fight to complete his treatment is a window into a raging debate about how and where veterans can get the best care.
Patrick Malone, a former Army combat medic, had been waiting more than a year for a surgery to repair a service-related knee injury that was rapidly getting worse.
The 38-year-old veteran can still walk but has a noticeable limp. His doctor has warned him not to play basketball or do anything else that would exacerbate it until he gets proper treatment.
He had cartilage cells from his good knee harvested in 2019, with all costs covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Part two of the procedure, putting the cartilage into his bad knee, was finally scheduled for June 18 after coronavirus-related delays.
