The suit filed in San Francisco charges the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with allowing an "unconscionable" backlog of 600,000 claims, including care for veterans with mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, the Los Angeles Times said.

"A number of veterans have committed suicide shortly after having been turned away from VA facilities either because they were told they were ineligible or because the wait was too long," the lawsuit alleges.

The VA responded by issuing a statement saying it "is committed to meeting the special needs of our latest generation of heroes, and it would be inappropriate to comment directly upon a potential or pending lawsuit."