PHX Reporter

The VA Phoenix Health Care System, subsidiary 644GH in Phoenix, Arizona, scheduled 10,877 pending appointments during the period ending September 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 10,626 had a wait time of 30 days or less (97.7%) and 251 appointments (2.3%) 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	58,714	51,123	7,591
644BY	Gilbert	22,649	21,771	878
644GH	Phoenix	10,877	10,626	251
644GA	Surprise	9,895	9,672	223
644GE	Phoenix	5,339	5,260	79
644GC	Phoenix	5,126	4,879	247
644GG	Scottsdale	3,159	3,110	49
644GB	Show Low	1,507	1,409	98
644GF	Globe	530	526	4
644GD	Payson	452	446	6

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration