SLO Reporter

The VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, subsidiary 691GK in San Luis Obispo, California, scheduled 1,089 pending appointments during the period ending March 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 994 had a wait time of 30 days or less (91.3%) and 95 appointments (8.7%) 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.

However, the Government Accountability Office released a report in July 2019 cautinging 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.

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 do not have service-connected disabilities and earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.

Facility Code	Location	Total Appointments Scheduled	Appointments Scheduled 30 Days or Less	Appointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
691	Los Angeles	43,432	37,576	5,856
691A4	Sepulveda	25,951	21,941	4,010
691GE	Los Angeles	9,904	9,206	698
691GE	Los Angeles	9,904	9,206	698
691GM	Oxnard	5,901	5,453	448
691GD	Bakersfield	5,192	4,719	473
691GL	Santa Maria	4,323	3,367	956
691GG	Lancaster	1,810	1,624	186
691GF	East Los Angeles	1,541	1,521	20
691GK	San Luis Obispo	1,089	994	95
691GB	Santa Barbara	447	430	17

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration