More endure long VA waits, audit says

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Tens of thousands more veterans than previously reported are forced to wait at least a month for medical appointments at Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics, according to an updated audit of 731 VA medical facilities released Thursday.

The updated report includes new figures showing that the wait times actually experienced at most VA facilities were shorter than those on waiting lists for pending appointments. For instance, new patients at the Atlanta VA hospital waited about an average of 44 days for an appointment in April, the new report said. But the average wait for pending appointments at Atlanta was 66 days.

Similar disparities in average wait times were found around the country. Pending appointments, for example, don’t include patients who walk into a clinic and get immediate or quick treatment, VA officials said. They also don’t reflect rescheduled appointments or those that are moved up because of openings due to cancellations.

VA officials said the two sets of data complement one another, but both are evidence that many veterans face long waits for care. More than 56,000 veterans were waiting more than 90 days for an initial appointment, the new report said.

“In many communities across the country, veterans wait too long for the high quality care they’ve earned and deserve,” acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson said Thursday.