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Thursday, November 21, 2024

VA reports increase in number of appointments at Lebanon VAMC health facility in Annville in October 2020

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The Lebanon VA Medical Center, subsidiary 595QA in Annville, PA scheduled 43 pending appointments in October 2020 compared to 29 the previous month, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 42 had a wait time of 30 days or less (97.7%) and one appointment (2.3%) was 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 Veterans Affairs Committee new patients may actually wait up to 70 days for an appointment when they first enroll for benefits.

The VA explains on its website 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.

Lebanon VA Medical Center Appointments Scheduled in October vs. September

Facility CodeLocationTotal Appointments Scheduled in OctoberTotal Appointments Scheduled in SeptemberPercent change in number of appointments
595GACumberland County, Pennsylvania9,3739,2181.7%
595GCLancaster County, Pennsylvania2,2682,2122.5%
595GDBerks County, Pennsylvania3,3093,428-3.5%
595GEYork, Pennsylvania5,2095,1491.2%
595GFSchuylkill County, Pennsylvania1,4081,760-20%
595QAAnnville, Pennsylvania432948.3%

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration

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