PHX Reporter

The VA Phoenix Health Care System, subsidiary 644GA in Surprise, Arizona, scheduled 11,410 pending appointments during the period ending December 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 (96.8%) and 360 appointments (3.2%) 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	61,589	52,027	9,562
644BY	Gilbert	22,941	21,460	1,481
644GA	Surprise	11,410	11,050	360
644GH	Phoenix	8,663	8,396	267
644GE	Phoenix	4,436	4,346	90
644GC	Phoenix	4,421	4,224	197
644GG	Scottsdale	2,804	2,667	137
644GB	Show Low	1,280	1,143	137
644GF	Globe	445	440	5
644GD	Payson	445	418	27

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration