The VA Montana Health Care System, subsidiary 436GH in Billings, MT scheduled 5,301 pending appointments in February compared to 5,135 the previous month, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
Of the total number of appointments, 4,408 had a wait time of 30 days or less (83.2%) and 893 appointments (16.9%) 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 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.
| Facility Code | Location | Total Appointments Scheduled in February | Total Appointments Scheduled in January | Percent change in number of appointments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 436A4 | Miles City CLC, Montana | 385 | 352 | 9.4% |
| 436GB | Great Falls, Montana | 3,504 | 3,038 | 15.3% |
| 436GC | Missoula, Montana | 6,722 | 6,457 | 4.1% |
| 436GD | Bozeman, Montana | 1,602 | 1,329 | 20.5% |
| 436GF | Kalispell, Montana | 5,454 | 5,134 | 6.2% |
| 436GH | Billings Majestic Lane, Montana | 5,301 | 5,135 | 3.2% |
| 436GI | Glasgow, Montana | 402 | 268 | 50% |
| 436GK | Glendive, Montana | 344 | 265 | 29.8% |
| 436GL | Cut Bank, Montana | 234 | 236 | -0.8% |
| 436GM | Lewistown, Montana | 355 | 197 | 80.2% |
| 436GN | Billings Spring Creek Lane, Montana | 5,231 | 5,011 | 4.4% |
| 436HC | Havre, Montana | 397 | 627 | -36.7% |
| 436QA | Hamilton, Montana | 1,224 | 1,208 | 1.3% |
| 436QB | Plentywood, Montana | 19 | 30 | -36.7% |
| 436QC | Helena, Montana | 655 | 614 | 6.7% |
Source: U.S. Veteran’s Administration
