Hamilton Reporter

The Tennessee Valley Health Care System Tennessee scheduled 172,078 pending appointments across its locations during the period ending July 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments 154,445 had a wait time of 30 days or less (89.75%) and 17,633 appointments (10.25%) were scheduled more than 30 days out.

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

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), however, released a report in July 2019 cautioning 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.

Debra Draper, health care director at the GAO, told the House Veterans Affairs Committee new patients may actually wait up to 70 days for an appointment when they first enroll for benefits.

The VA explains when veterans apply for benefits, they are assigned to one of eight 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	49,661	43,542	6,119
Murfreesboro, TN (Alvin C. York)	44,725	38,614	6,111
Dover, TN	1,523	1,478	45
Bowling Green, KY	4,789	4,524	265
Clarksville, TN	12,358	11,520	838
Chattanooga, TN	15,530	14,632	898
Tullahoma, TN	1,276	1,254	22
Cookeville, TN	5,532	5,404	128
Hopkinsville, KY	4,499	4,244	255
McMinnville, TN	2,028	1,999	29
Roane County, TN	2,301	2,242	59
Maury County, TN	3,357	3,207	150
Athens, TN	2,055	1,891	164
International Plaza, TN	4,281	4,122	159
Gallatin, TN	1,878	1,841	37
Albion Street, TN	3,124	2,910	214
Charlotte Avenue, TN	5,629	5,517	112
Pointe Centre, TN	5,523	4,809	714
Glenis Drive, TN	189	187	2