WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that 649 veterans who were denied benefits after seeing the same Tomah, Wisconsin VA doctor are entitled to new exams — and the possibility of retroactive benefits.
The action comes in the wake of a multi-year KARE 11 investigation that documented multiple cases of misdiagnosis by Tomah VA neurologist Dr. Mary Jo Lanska.
Beginning in February 2022, KARE 11 exposed cases in which Dr. Lanska misdiagnosed veterans with serious neurological conditions including traumatic brain injuries, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.
KARE 11’s investigation culminated in a primetime special report, “Broken Promises,” documenting how veterans had been improperly denied benefits despite warnings about Dr. Lanska’s exams.
A VA whistleblower told KARE 11 he had reported problems with Dr. Lanska’s exams years ago. “When a problem is identified, it has to be addressed. This problem has been identified for quite some time and it’s never been addressed,” said Jeff Hein, a retired County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) from Wisconsin.
KARE 11 repeatedly reached out to Dr. Lanska for comment. She did not reply.
Following KARE 11’s initial reports, Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin began pressing the VA to investigate a pattern of misdiagnosed veterans. In May 2023, Dr. Lanska was terminated from the Tomah VA.
The VA says it identified more than 900 veterans who had disability exams done by Dr. Lanska. Of those, it says 649 of them “may have been negatively impacted by Dr. Lanska’s exams – so they will be eligible for another exam.”
In making VA Secretary Denis McDonough’s announcement, the agency included an apology.
“We apologize to all of the veterans and families who have been negatively impacted by Dr. Lanska’s exams,” the statement said.
The VA encourages veterans to get their new exams as soon as possible so their benefits can be recalculated. For veterans who have passed away since the original exam, McDonough said the VA will contact their survivors to initiate the readjudication process and provide benefits accordingly.
Senator Baldwin praised the VA’s action to correct past mistakes.
“Our veterans and their families have made great sacrifices to serve us, and it is our responsibility to take care of them when they come back home. Sadly, we came up short on our end of the deal and many Wisconsin veterans were denied the care and benefits that they earned serving us. But today, we helped right that wrong.”
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more KARE 11 Investigates:
Watch all of the latest stories from our award-winning investigative team in our special YouTube playlist: