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Friday, November 8, 2024

33 newly enrolled Tennessee Valley HCS patients seek medical appointments in January 2020

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The Tennessee Valley Health Care System reported that 33 patients newly enrolled in its benefits program requested appointments but had not received one during the period ending February 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

During that same time frame, the system scheduled 199,111 pending appointments across its 20 healthcare facilities.

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 or better to 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.

At a hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Committee after the report was released, Debra Draper, health care director at the GAO, said new patients may actually wait up to 70 days for an appointment when they first enroll for benefits.

The VA explains on its website that when veterans apply for benefits, they are assigned to 1 of 8 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.

Tennessee Valley Health Care System Pending Appointments Scheduled in February
LocationTotal Appointments ScheduledAppointments Scheduled 30 Days or LessAppointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
Nashville, TN60,64255,7794,863
Murfreesboro, TN (Alvin C. York)50,46547,5642,901
Dover, TN1,2951,191104
Bowling Green, KY4,9254,783142
Clarksville, TN15,08013,2061,874
Chattanooga, TN19,09818,291807
Tullahoma, TN1,2441,2377
Cookeville, TN4,9294,763166
Hopkinsville, KY5,1464,537609
McMinnville, TN2,5172,50215
Roane County, TN2,3152,24867
Maury County, TN4,3594,28574
Athens, TN2,3342,216118
International Plaza, TN4,8104,676134
Gallatin, TN2,1592,11742
IDES Fort Campbell2132130
Albion Street, TN3,7843,554230
Charlotte Avenue, TN6,5356,303232
Pointe Centre, TN7,0236,256767
Glenis Drive, TN2382353
Source: U.S. Veteran’s Administration

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