PHX Reporter

The VA Phoenix Health Care System, subsidiary 644BY in Gilbert, Arizona, scheduled 22,666 pending appointments during the period ending July 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 21,782 had a wait time of 30 days or less (96.1%) and 884 appointments (3.9%) were scheduled more than 30 days out.

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 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 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.

The VA explains on its website that 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 do not have service-connected disabilities and earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.

Facility Code	Location	Total Appointments Scheduled	Appointments Scheduled 30 Days or Less	Appointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
644	Phoenix	59,950	52,409	7,541
644BY	Gilbert	22,666	21,782	884
644GH	Phoenix	10,689	10,410	279
644GA	Surprise	9,912	9,782	130
644GE	Phoenix	5,475	5,287	188
644GC	Phoenix	4,525	4,270	255
644GG	Scottsdale	3,087	3,034	53
644GB	Show Low	1,744	1,659	85
644GD	Payson	558	550	8
644GF	Globe	541	527	14

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration