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Sunday, November 17, 2024

VA reports increase in number of January appointments scheduled at VA Montana HCS health facility in Glendive

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The VA Montana Health Care System, subsidiary 436GK in Glendive, Montana scheduled 271 pending appointments in January compared to 220 during the same period last year, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments this January, 233 had a wait time of 30 days or less (86%) and 38 appointments (14%) 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 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 do not have service-connected disabilities and who earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.

VA Montana Health Care System - 436GK Appointments Scheduled in January 2020 vs. January 2019

Facility Code
Location
Total Appointments Scheduled in January 2020
Total Appointments Scheduled in January 2019
Percent change in number of appointments
436GB
Great Falls
3,219
2,241
43.6%
436GC
Missoula
7,217
6,831
5.7%
436GD
Bozeman
1,871
1,570
19.2%
436GF
Kalispell
5,640
3,957
42.5%
436GH
Billings
6,689
7,647
-12.5%
436GI
Glasgow
199
297
-33%
436GK
Glendive
271
220
23.2%
436GL
Cut Bank
224
179
25.1%
436GM
Lewistown
547
388
41%
436HC
Havre
325
308
5.5%
436QA
Hamilton
1,302
245
431.4%
436QB
Plentywood
32
47
-31.9%
436QC
Helena
1,632
812
101%
Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration

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