Bowling Green Today

The Tennessee Valley Health Care System reported that 97 patients newly enrolled in its benefits program requested appointments but had not received one during the period ending May 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

During that same time frame, the system scheduled 176,412 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.

Location	Total Appointments Scheduled	Appointments Scheduled 30 Days or Less	Appointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
Nashville, TN	50,395	44,976	5,419
Murfreesboro, TN (Alvin C. York)	44,933	40,576	4,357
Dover, TN	1,375	1,312	63
Bowling Green, KY	4,836	4,595	241
Clarksville, TN	12,432	11,543	889
Chattanooga, TN	16,805	16,003	802
Tullahoma, TN	1,346	1,330	16
Cookeville, TN	5,616	5,480	136
Hopkinsville, KY	4,569	4,296	273
McMinnville, TN	2,292	2,231	61
Roane County, TN	2,197	2,150	47
Maury County, TN	3,380	3,256	124
Athens, TN	2,166	2,005	161
International Plaza, TN	4,421	4,273	148
Gallatin, TN	1,962	1,902	60
IDES Fort Campbell	12	12	0
Albion Street, TN	3,384	3,174	210
Charlotte Avenue, TN	5,690	5,496	194
Pointe Centre, TN	6,222	5,408	814
Glenis Drive, TN	164	152	12

Source: U.S. Veteran’s Administration