Hamilton Reporter

The Tennessee Valley Health Care System Tennessee scheduled 199,111 pending appointments across its locations during the period ending March 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments 186,380 had a wait time of 30 days or less (93.61%) and 12,731 appointments (6.39%) 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	59,818	55,002	4,816
Murfreesboro, TN (Alvin C. York)	49,786	46,967	2,819
Dover, TN	1,402	1,283	119
Bowling Green, KY	4,886	4,684	202
Clarksville, TN	15,837	14,124	1,713
Chattanooga, TN	19,306	18,714	592
Tullahoma, TN	1,316	1,309	7
Cookeville, TN	5,465	5,310	155
Hopkinsville, KY	4,935	4,407	528
McMinnville, TN	2,520	2,500	20
Roane County, TN	2,304	2,230	74
Maury County, TN	4,372	4,298	74
Athens, TN	2,365	2,280	85
International Plaza, TN	4,740	4,645	95
Gallatin, TN	2,133	2,073	60
IDES Fort Campbell	360	360	0
Albion Street, TN	3,862	3,547	315
Charlotte Avenue, TN	6,452	6,238	214
Pointe Centre, TN	6,915	6,081	834
Glenis Drive, TN	248	239	9