PHX Reporter

The VA Phoenix Health Care System, subsidiary 644GA in Surprise, Arizona, scheduled 11,272 pending appointments during the period ending October 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 11,050 had a wait time of 30 days or less (98%) and 222 appointments (2%) 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	60,364	53,089	7,275
644BY	Gilbert	22,466	21,424	1,042
644GA	Surprise	11,272	11,050	222
644GH	Phoenix	9,414	9,185	229
644GC	Phoenix	5,228	4,998	230
644GE	Phoenix	4,680	4,618	62
644GG	Scottsdale	2,644	2,558	86
644GB	Show Low	1,143	1,004	139
644GD	Payson	470	463	7
644GF	Globe	373	371	2

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration