Hamilton Reporter

The Tennessee Valley Health Care System reported that 54 patients newly enrolled in its benefits program requested appointments but had not received one during the period ending August 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

During that same time frame, the system scheduled 170,320 pending appointments across its 20 healthcare facilities.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in January 2019 reported that wait times for new appointments at VA health care facilities were similar or better to wait times at private-sector providers between 2014 and 2017.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), however, released a report in July 2019 that cautioned that the VA’s data-tracking system only captures part of the appointment process and fails to account for the time that it takes the VA to enroll veterans in its health benefits program.

At a hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Committee after the report was released, Debra Draper, health care director at the GAO, said new patients may actually wait up to 70 days for an appointment when they first enroll for benefits.

The VA explains on its website that when veterans apply for benefits, they are assigned to 1 of 8 priority groups, with those who need immediate care due to service-related disabilities placed in higher priority groups. Veterans who don’t have service-connected disabilities and who earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.

Location	Total Appointments Scheduled	Appointments Scheduled 30 Days or Less	Appointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
Nashville, TN	48,652	43,107	5,545
Murfreesboro, TN (Alvin C. York)	44,072	38,079	5,993
Dover, TN	1,597	1,546	51
Bowling Green, KY	4,866	4,630	236
Clarksville, TN	12,693	11,885	808
Chattanooga, TN	15,492	14,636	856
Tullahoma, TN	1,294	1,273	21
Cookeville, TN	5,708	5,571	137
Hopkinsville, KY	4,160	3,908	252
McMinnville, TN	2,058	2,041	17
Roane County, TN	2,305	2,244	61
Maury County, TN	3,397	3,227	170
Athens, TN	1,958	1,841	117
International Plaza, TN	4,236	4,065	171
Gallatin, TN	1,881	1,850	31
Albion Street, TN	3,015	2,857	158
Charlotte Avenue, TN	5,605	5,472	133
Pointe Centre, TN	5,661	5,001	660
Glenis Drive, TN	260	253	7

Source: U.S. Veteran’s Administration