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VA Minneapolis HCS facilities schedule 107,400 medical appointments in November 2019

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The VA Minneapolis Health Care System Minnesota scheduled 107,400 pending appointments across its locations during the period ending November 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments 98,293 had a wait time of 30 days or less (91.52%) and 9,107 appointments (8.48%) were scheduled more than 30 days out.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in January 2019 reported 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 cautioning 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.

Debra Draper, health care director at the GAO, told the House Veterans Affairs Committee new patients may actually wait up to 70 days for an appointment when they first enroll for benefits.

The VA explains 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 don’t have service-connected disabilities and who earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.

VA Minneapolis Health Care System Pending Appointments Scheduled in November
LocationTotal Appointments ScheduledAppointments Scheduled 30 Days or LessAppointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
Minneapolis, MN72,74266,2276,515
Twin Ports, WI8,9168,072844
St. James, MN2302219
Hibbing, MN1,1771,14829
Maplewood, MN3,1002,924176
Chippewa Valley, WI3,9953,103892
Rochester, MN2,4882,43454
Hayward, WI34132318
Northwest Metro, MN8,8528,499353
Shakopee, MN1,5371,50037
Albert Lea, MN55653818
Minneapolis Harmon Place, MN3113083
Rice Lake, WI957831126
Mankato, MN (Lyle C. Pearson)1,9751,94728
Fort Snelling, MN1031021
Ely, MN1201164

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